Chinese Bellflower
by Shin Il-Na
Summary: She stared at him pensively. He scowled. She turned and calmly began walking away. "Wait up, teme! Why do you always leave without killing me!" Maybe it was a bit too early for her to tell him? "I'll kill you for this, Kikyo! Get back here!" Nmhm, oh yes, definitely too early. (An OC/SI Kikyo)
1. Soul

**(Prologue)**

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Normally, it would have been heart-breaking. Normally, it would have been painful. But at this moment, all she felt was such tranquil peace for the finality of what she knew was coming. Able to finally leave what she was hoping to lengthen for a longer time. And so, when her bloody finger's lost their tight grip on her necklace and her sight was abruptly pulled into an extensive obscurity, she welcomed the numbness with acceptance. The tears were not for herself, heaven's no. The amount that dripped down with no stop were half from the pain that enveloped her body and half for knowing of what this resigning decision would do to her family. Family. Her family….now that she actually took a second, a piercing pain stabbed itself into her slowing heart. Her family were the most important thing to her ever since she was small…..to have to witness her death like such, could have been traumatizing to the parent's that brought her into this world, only to watch with their own eye's how it took their daughter out. For that, she was most certainly remorseful and would wish for them to live their best because….huh…..wait a second…should she even be still be capable of thinking to herself..? The stabbing pain eased a bit from her turning thoughts leading elsewhere. Shouldn't there have been…..a Shinigami or maybe her spiritually appearance or _anything _really. But nothing. There was absolutely _nothing _here. Just..floating into nothingness. Huh. Could be a rock band name too, _'Floating into nothingness'. _Alright, so maybe she felt a bit better thinking about anything else really, but that didn't change what she should do now. No appearance, no body, yet her emotions were still in contact if the fact that she was still thinking was evidence.

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So….maybe this is actually hell. Yeah let's roll with that, she was in some kind of level of torture from one of the different dimensions in the underworld. Why? Because at first, it was peaceful and she was satisfied that she would have the darkness engulf her mind as well but then it began. A static kind of bright light to the far end from where she was situated. It gave off zip's of what she could recognize as white static surrounding the rather miniature white orb. She didn't know what to do. Just when she thought she would finally disappear, materializing out of nowhere is a white dot just floating right in the middle of her somehow-now-working sight. And damn it all, she wanted her god-damn peace already! So, by the time the orb was within reach and now the size of a baseball, you couldn't blame her if she was more than just a tad annoyed.

However, she definitely did _not _expect for the pure light to _blind_ her with its light. The emotion's that followed were also unwelcomed but accepted nevertheless. But by the time they seemed to fade through her, she found herself bewildered when _finger's _lightly touched her cheek, and actually _sensing _the soft feel of skin and cold liquid coating it. _Her _finger's. She inhaled shakily; something that shouldn't even be remotely possible; and began to mutter nervously under her breath because she recognized these action's. She recognized her freaking _body's _nerve's. Something was happening and she had a feeling she was _not _going to like it.

"What did you do to me?"

She flinched back, now visible body tensing and hand's shifting to tight fist's. Her voice was back. Her voice was back. _Her voice was back. _Everything was coming back! No, no, no, no! Before her shaking patience snapped, the light from the ball entrapped her into its warmth, subduing the shaking young woman in its shield. She was stunned for a second until realizing what the ball actually was. A soul. As the familiar liquid swiftly flowed down her cheeks, she ignored her situation and embraced the small orb as gently and comforting as she could. A very _tragic _soul. It was heart-rending and she didn't know what it was doing by shifting it's emotion's onto her, but she would try and comfort it for all she was worth in the moment. Why was the light so warm, and yet the feeling it gave off was just so sad?

A quivering soul was now in her arms and she just tightened her grip on its small body with her arm's. The tear's never stopped floating. Neither did the soul's shaking. And maybe they were both trying to comfort each other, she noted on the back of her mind.

It was long. She didn't know how long, but she felt a bit bad that she was annoyed with the soul in the beginning, so she softly apologized absentmindedly. The soul's shaking was already ceasing, but when it heard those word's there was a slight change in the feeling it began giving off. She identified it as maybe….determination and happiness? Even peacefulness was in the bundle of mess it abruptly began giving off. She softened her grip and held the soul in her hand's in front of her, waiting for any indication on what it meant with those feeling's.

When the light surrounding the orb began to disintegrate into bluish glistening, her eye's widened. "What's happening?" She was worried, of course! She felt a small connection with the pure bluish soul who tried to comfort her despite not knowing who she was, and their small time together brought her a tiny peace in her non-living heart.

The soul didn't change its emotion's and instead, it looked as if it bowed it's orb body towards her as an overwhelming grateful emotion ran through her mind, causing fresh tear's to override the already drying one's. "No…" She whispered non-audibly. Her eye's never left it's small body, a small sadness shifting to her. "Wait!" she yelled abruptly, accidentally tightening her hand's around the orb, flinching and freezing when it disintegrated into shimmer, fading to nothing once more.

The same darkness didn't seem so peaceful after what just happened. She slowly opened her trembling hands, feeling her body but never seeing it's movement in the nothingness. She…..did she just..kill the soul..? She killed it..? She killed it. The emotion's that were shifted to her disappeared, making her slowly bring her tense shaking hand's to her face, fisting her bang's tightly and lowering unsteady to her knee's. "Am sorry." Her mumbled word's echoed through the dark plane. "Am sorry!" She yelled through her tear's with a vengeance, mentally hoping for her vocal chords to break form the pressure. It was sad, she was sad, she comforted it, it comforted her, it thanked her, she killed it. Why, why, why, why!? She didn't mean to! _"Am sorry!"_

* * *

In Sengoku Jidai; Ancient Japan; The day was a rather cool temperature with the white cloud's floating scarcely around, the wind flowing gently through healthy plantation. In a nearby village a pair of parent's sighed in relief when their newly born daughter gave its first wail. And with a tired but proud smile, the mother held her child after the washing, inwardly relieved at her baby's rather strong lung's. The couple and helpers were a bit worried when the baby seemed too quiet during the trail and washing, only to heave a sigh of relief collectively when right after the wash the baby gave its first big wail. They all put to the back of their head on how the wail sounded a little strange. The husband brought his arm comfortingly around his wife, gently touching his little girl's head with his other hand. The wife smiled and pressed her daughter closer, looking down into her daughter's closed crying eye's with loving one's of her owns. The husband wore a matching expression of love for his newly born daughter. The helper's, a wizened elder woman and an older middle aged woman smiled at the scene from their position of right in the middle of the room crouched down. "Kikyo…our little Kikyo."

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**Disclaimer:** **Only my OC belongs to me**


	2. White Spiritual Reiki

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**Spirit**

Her first instinct when she could finally focus correctly might have _slightly _traumatized her new charges. _Slightly. _Take note on the emphasis of the word. You couldn't blame her either. Imagine suddenly waking up after _knowing _that you have passed on, only to receive full show of a spectacular view of blurry very faded color's. She could hardly concentrate on what was being spoken around her, much less with how she tried to move her now invalid hard-to-freaking-move body.

She theorized that just maybe she was in heaven in one of those greenhouse looking buildings where baby angels are born after the spirits of people that have died….she mused to herself. It _was _just a theory. Plus, that the people around her were angel's taking care of her.

So, when she froze completely and willed her inner strength to keep those top lid's in that position, her charge's may or may not have had a pony what with the way they reacted. From what little information she got on her fabulous and tiring mental power, she collected that the language they were worriedly yelling around her was….Japanese? Unfortunately, her body didn't listen to her mental pushes anymore and decided to relax, eyes drooping down on their own accord. Augh. She mentally clicked her tongue in disappointment. Anyway, back to the main topic. Some form of Japanese. Yes, she identified those rather faded word's.

My, her charge's had quite the lung's if they could speak _that _fast. Nonetheless. Her college classes were coming back to her now, _yes! _She mentally air-fisted. Thank goodness for history genre anime as well! But the language was really old…_really _old. She briefly wondered just what kind of heaven she was in if the language spoken was ancient. The soft murmur's of her charge's had her body involuntarily droop into a deep numb state of half sleep.

No more worrying, eh? Too bad her eyesight was still under developed and her hearing was as developed as her body, otherwise she could have pictured their reaction's more clearly instead of the in and out voices and the hazy view.

* * *

She'll spare you the entertaining details of cleaning, feeding, and basically being babied. The third time she gave her charge's another small collective panic attack was when after a _very very _lengthy period, the beautiful day came when her eyesight and hearing miraculously transformed into perfection one day…she _may_ or may not have had something to do with that little event; consistently playing around with this strange energy inside her body; when she figured that the more she 'trained', a.k.a played, with the puppy like white energy the more her body's condition's and control came around.

Sure sometimes she would accidentally use too much and just faint into a sleep like state, or use too much and just be awake for a day or two. Even those small cut's that would appear on her skin from the energy didn't bother her too much as she once experimented a heal, and boom! Instant first aid kit. Whoa, got off track again. So, charge's heart attack. Right. She didn't want them to know about what she was experimenting with god knows what the hell is in her body, so tried it mostly when they were occupied with whatever it was they did when they weren't taking care of her. Until that day.

It seemed that constantly using and playing with her inside energy gave her more control than what was supposed to be 'normal'. Her infant eye's had widened and her small body tensed when her sight caught everything in front of her. She numbly recalled in the back of her mind, _anime. _Because that was exactly what she was staring at so intently. _Hah. _Heaven her _ass. _Everything was _huge! _She mentally snorted at her evaluation. No doubt, she was definitely a baby. The frantic beating of her heart rang deep inside her ear's, unluckily blocking any other sounds. Okay, stare stare stare. Shh, calm down heart! She was _just _born! She didn't want to have to go through the damn process _again! _The small interior looked like one of those old huts you see in history anime's from villages.

Dark faded brown was everywhere, floor, walls, she glanced upwards, same. Oh well, would you look at that. Now that she was calmer, her hearing clearly picked up coherent Japanese ancient language. She could remember most of the familiar word's from her charger's speaking to her continually.

Thank you Japanese college class! She glanced at her female charge, the one mainly holding her seeing as they were the only one's inside the hut. And had to compose her calm face before that eyebrow rose up. The female's face was staring at her worryingly, speaking in rushed panicky tone's. However, she couldn't hide her wince when her charge yelled loudly, calling for her husband. She pouted her baby lips.

* * *

When an older male stumbled into the hut; moving away the straw cover that acted as a door; with four other male's and two other elderly woman entering in a hurry. She quickly assessed their attire, noting the dirty farmer clothing on every male and the rather old style Japanese ripped yukata-like on the females. And that was what the now large group stumbled upon. A worried looking woman, switching her gaze between her confused husband and village folks to her deadpanned faced daughter, who was very calmly taking everything in with an unnatural grace unsuited for an eighth month baby.

The villager's looked between themselves with a knowing look on their face, as her female charge was locked in gazes with her husband who was intently staring at his highly spiritual daughter and wife with a knowing glance. She never cared much for what was happening when she couldn't hear nor see correctly, but that absolutely went out the door now that she was valid again. And those knowing glances? Yeah, she was worried and quite suspicious if her tingly white energy spiking at her cautiously was anything to go by. She locked gazes with her male charge when he walked forward with determination now in his blue eyes. He squatted directly in her line of sight, petting her short locks falling a bit above her eyes with his larger calloused hand.

"Kikyo."

Her head instinctively raised at the familiar name they've been calling her since. A prickle in the back of her mind told her that the name was familiar for a different reason but she couldn't for the newly born life of her remember where it was important from. She tuned back in, saving that prickly information for later. "You're a special girl, Kikyo." Her head tilted with confusion, showing everyone proof of what they speculated. She eyed his warm smile with veiled caution, glancing back at her female charge and making a curt squealing noise. Her charges were both smiling at each other proudly now, making her slowly aching head swirl with even more question's. Professionally ignoring the cheering village folks at the front. Sigh. Anime-like reality, knowing glances, and now a more positive atmosphere just because of those words? She tried to decipher what the now large crowd in front of the hut was cheering about, but gently closed her eyes, feeling her depleted energy coming back leisurely from her drowsy state. The cheer's of the crowd and conversation of her charges faded into the background of peaceful darkness.


	3. Kaede

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**Kaede**

"Thank you for your kindness once more, Hisaka-san." A dark haired child thanked and bowed politely, holding the received fresh picked vegetables onto her arm's, shifting her steady bow into a more comfortable position with her shoulder, the motion making the small arrows on her back clink together within in its dark hold.

The elderly man smiled widely and waved the usual polite gesture off with a hand. "It's no trouble, Kikyo-chan. After all, us folks owe you for that spirit you warded off last week!" He laughed brightly, the surrounding older farmers who were listening in adding their loud agreements from their various position's in the paddy field filled with the clear water. "Thank you though I am still in learning." The dark haired child straightened from her light bow, revealing azure eyes deep with gratefulness and a bit of amusement when one of the men slipped with a splash, the other's laughing with him. She chuckled good naturedly and bowed once more, a light smile on her lips before turning to resume her walk to her hut. Her now waist length straight hair ruffled in the hot breeze. She mentally chided herself for forgetting her white ribbon at home while bowing back at one of the bows from a passing adult woman. She continued the calm walk on the sandy pavement, instinctively bowing back to the villagers that bowed at her on her way.

It has been…..a while, she would admit. Tilting her head back, she raised her free hand over her squinting eyes, shadowing them from the heated sun. She gave up on multiple theory's _long _ago. She has fully accepted the fact that somehow, someway, some utterly rule-breaking situation has happened and she has been reborn into some kind of youkai infested anime-like world with ancient Japan being it's main occupation. Resuming her walk, she lightly tugged on her front ebony lock's, feeling the familiar tugging on her scalp. By now, the folks in the village were used to her sometimes strange antic's.

She would pat her cheeks, poke her lips, tug her hair sometimes, even bite her tongue at times. And yes. Each and every single time she felt the _same _as her other body used to. She never got tired of it, until she realized nothing was going to change, then it just decreased to rare tugs on her hair. One thing she never got tired of was observing everything she came across. The wooden houses, the beautiful light blue cloud infested sky, the far away hazy mountains, the greenery surrounding the village, the purity of the water, even the people. Every single thing was animated. She would no doubt say that the air was defiantly more pure if she wasn't used to the smell since she came to this world.

Ah, talking about this world!—she skipped lightly over a rapidly rolling basin then shaking her head and smiling at the apologetic young woman who laughed with a small bow, continuing on her way after bowing back. Her charges—which she now knows are her parents, were in awe at her high spiritual reiki since her birth, though didn't know what would become of her until that day she used her energy to upgrade her hearing and eyesight. After that, it was basically destiny. She _had _to be taught how to control her spiritual energy right, her many accidental burning or light injuries showing just how much energy she had, and what slippery control she had. She _could_ just heal herself, she told them. But of course, that never went as planned either since she could hardly fall asleep afterwards.

She sighed long, slumping her shoulders in response to the large cloud blocking her figure from the vengeful heat. Turning a corner, she smiled and bowed back at the bright kids yelling and grinning at her excitingly.

When she told one of the priestess elder's teaching her of what she used to do when she was just an infant, they looked at her in awe and hidden prudence. After that conversation it was hardcore training. They gave and gave and she took and took. They knew she had larger reserves than anyone spiritual, even they themselves, so they were a bit wary around her but never decreased the tortu—_cough_—training. She herself was a selfish taker so of course anything given was sponged up into her multiple abilities. Now she was—"Kikyo!" She stopped and calmly turned around, smiling and bowing politely at the younger man walking towards her away from his hut, waving back with a large smile at the happily waving four year old girl in his smiling wife's arms. "Keisuke-san, Yumiko-san, Mika-chan. I hope everything is going well in this time of the season." She eye smiled. Keisuke, one of the younger farmers of the village nodded with a bright smile. "We've got just enough saved for the winter this time!" He chatted vigorously. She nodded with the flow as they began exchanging comments here and there.

"Keisuke! Remember what you called Kikyo-chan for, you baka!" Keisuke winced, his rather floppy brown hair shifting when the thrown object hit center behind. Kikyo raised a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh when he began grumbling about 'woman and their violent tempers' or 'abusive wives'. Her eyes sparkled when they met the eyes of his wife, both communicating a rather humorous moment. His shaking head brought Kikyo's attention back towards the taller male. "Eh-right, I completely forgot." He laughed sheepishly before tugging an object from inside his covered basket. She smiled and laughed lightly, tilting her head when he brought forth the object. Her slightly widened eyes stared at his, glancing behind to his knowingly smiling wife. "I know how much your mother need's a new one. Yumiko here was persistent enough to blow my ears off." He grumbled the last sentence, cringing when his wife's angry yell sounded behind him.

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Kikyo chuckled and with a grateful expression and bow of her head towards the watching couple, she gently held in the soft smooth fabric. Her smiling face stayed composed as she pondered on her last life just which kind of material this was. It must have been such hard work knitting this soft orange fabric, considering what era this was. Her eyes softened.

She carefully folded the light fabric into a smaller square, holding it against her chest with her free hand before bowing lower and straightening with a chuckle when Keisuke waved it off with a snort, his wife's 'use it well, Kikyo-chan!' ringing in the background. "I thank you greatly, Keisuke-san, Yumiko-san. I will use it fairly." She eye smiled at them gratefully. "Eiish, it's no big deal!" "Kikyo-chan's always so polite." His wife brightly exclaimed from the back. Kikyo chuckled politely and began her walk again after a wave from both individuals and an excited one from the brown haired toddler.

She sighed in relief, her lips curving upwards into a small smile. She would certainty use the clothe wisely, especially since it was a handmade gift.

Her father at this time of day would be out in the patty field's farming with the rest, and her tired mother would be at home resting because of her condition. It was very close too, maybe a month or so until it happened? She was never an expert in pregnancy, sue her. Talking about specialists, she glanced downwards at her attire. At random times, it made her feel like she was cosplaying. With the traditional miko outfit of white top with chords through the sleeves and open shoulders and bottom red _nagabakama _(a long hakama). And many other details she couldn't bother to remember at the moment even though it was embedded into her brain since young.

Right. Specialists. She was almost done with her miko training, the priestess elders informed her less than a week ago. Obviously, Kikyo was stunned. Shouldn't there have been more years to her format until they approved that she could at least defend the village properly without their help? She verbally asked and received a strange proud explanation from the elders.

Stating that she should remember that it's been more than seven years that they have been training her in anything she could possibly excel at. In which another elder calmly interrupted and just told her straight out what they all decided (she liked that elder the most, bluntly humorous with a dry sense of humor. Though maybe that was just her since she always indirectly teased the older woman?), that she had more than enough spiritual power on her side to now be able to protect the village. All she needed was the experience against stronger youkai and her power would automatically adjust to the strain and grow into its own chor. Surprised wouldn't exactly be the word to describe what she felt at that time, but close enough.

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Thank goodness for spiritual control. Kikyo sighed once more, silently basking in her sudden coolness, the inward energy keeping her body from overheating. Her features brightened when they caught view of her hut, bowing lightly at the passing bow of an elder woman. She tightened her hold on the objects and carefully weaved pass through the familiar straw door with her head, "Mother!" Her voice was returned with a painful grunt from the older woman lying on a soft mat near the put out fire in the hole of the middle of the room. Kikyo instantly looked up at the strange sound and widened her eye's, hurriedly placing the objects near a corner of the room and rapidly made way towards her panting mother who was holding her stomach with both hands.

"Mother please calm down. Take deep breaths and please trust me." Kikyo sternly instructed and gracefully sat on her knees. Her eyes softened when her mother grunted a gritted yes. Her mother knew that Kikyo, no matter how young, was always more intelligent than normal children her age and her training added to that list. Kikyo gently placed her hands on the left over space of her mother's bloated belly, a warm pure white see though light coating them. Her mother's groans of pain's decreased in noise until she was only lightly panting. Kikyo blinked multiple times in confusion. Turning her head towards her mother, she decided to inform her of the turn of events. "Mother, it appears that there is no more waiting. I will go and call for helpers with more experience." She softly told her mother, who only nodded weakly in response. "I have healed you of most of your physical pain's, it should last your for more than an hour. Please wait until I have come back with Father and the helpers." She gently patted her mother on the arm before rising when she received a hesitant nod.

* * *

Kikyo swiftly left the hut and ran, finding her father almost immediately since he never got too far on the field's with his wife on their second child. When she was well within hearing range, she stated out, "It's time!" She would have laughed at the expression on his and the near folks if she wasn't in such a hurry. She couldn't stifle her laugh however when he stumbled out of the wet field and tripped over his own two wobbly feet, trying to follow after his now loudly laughing daughter. He scowled at her playfully, then yelled out for the elders that helped with the birthing process. The near villagers who heard instantly jogged to where they knew the pair of older woman lived.

"Dear!" Kikyo's father instantly dropped down next to his now growling wife (Kikyo mentally mused at how such a growl sounded rather feral), holding her upper body in one arm, the other around her shoulders. After a few minutes, the black haired smaller miko swiftly moved out of the way when the elder pair of women in their village known for helping in these processes hurriedly entered and instantly began the trail of birthing. One of the elder women thanked Kikyo tremendously for healing the physical pains, now all her mother needed to do was get in position and push for all she was worth. Kikyo nodded with a gentle smile as she gracefully sat on her legs and knees, already used to the style of sitting from years of practice. (Not that it wasn't easy at first, remember that she was a western woman in her past life, so sitting like that at first brought her the numbing pains and electric currents from her feet to her legs. If it wasn't for her training…she mentally shivered.)

* * *

After a few hours, she didn't know how long exactly since she was so concentrated on her mother and the helper's action's, there was a collective breath-taking moment when her mother gave out the last scream of pain. A 'plop' sound was heard, the helpers smiling widely and congratulating mother who was in her smiling husband's arms. Kikyo smiled warmly at the scene and strode forward then sat down next to her proudly smiling father who patted her on the head warmly. She watched her mother carefully take the cleanly washed baby. Baby. She felt warmth flutter on the inside of her chest, a small proud feeling of being an older sister. In her last life, she was an only child, so she never experienced what it felt like to be a sibling. But this time, she had a baby _sister_; if what she felt when she healed her mother was correct; and she would do anything to protect her. Her eyes softened at the image, taking her small family in even as she sent small healing bit's to her mother and newly born wailing baby sister.

"Kaede."

Kikyo froze in her spot. Her mental activity halting its process. What…..did…mother just..say? Her eyes numbly blinked at the scene, heart beating erratically in her chest, pounding its harsh nervous drum in her ears. She blankly stared at them, trying to think but uselessly reaching nothing. "Her name will be Kaede." She vaguely recalled that black spot's entering your view isn't a very good thing before the darkness tore her view from her. The ground was nothing but a small disturbance compared to the frantically sliding memories taking over her sense. She heard the dim yelling voices of everyone in the hut, but even they faded away. Well then Kaede. Thank you for taking her back to 'road-trip-your-screwed!'


	4. Epiphany

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**Epiphany**

Blue eyes briefly glanced behind her before shifting back forward to her task. The couple in the hut stared at the scene in complete amusement. The now teenage long haired pale beauty calmly took the finished straw hat in her eyes, turning it this way and that way for any mistakes or large holes. The shorter and chubbier child next to the teenager intently stared at her, then hurriedly tried to copy the exact movements with deep concentrated dark brown comically narrowed eyes glancing at the teen repeatedly. A soft sigh interrupted the peaceful silence in the hut.

Kikyo tilted her head to the side in concentration, looking from the corner of her eye as the shorter head reflected her movement almost instinctively. A sudden laugh bubbled out from the long haired teenager before she abruptly pulled the rapidly blinking child into her embrace, "What in the world are you doing, Kaede?", she asked through her laughter. Their parents warmly chuckled at the scene. They had been worried at first from Kikyo's reaction to Kaede's birth but afterwards it was strangely as if it had never happened. She had apologized for her actions, stating it as an….overexcitment? Kikyo always did mix strange words when she spoke they noted. Their attention broke from their thoughts to how Kaede brightly laughed, "I want to be like Kikyo-onee-sama!" Both parents glanced between their children with badly hidden amusement.

She chuckled, leaning away slightly and tapping Kaede's nose with a slim index finger making the smaller child crinkle her nose. "That would be nice. But you know what will really take the cake?" Kaede shook her head rapidly, brown eyes now widened with innocent excitement at the tone of her older sister's excited tone. The couple in the hut exchanged a glance, now instinctively knowing some strange sayings were already being remembered by Kaede who didn't even look confused at the strange saying.

The older black haired teenager eye smiled. "If you be Kaede! See? Then you can _also _stay with Kikyo!" Kaede stared pensively with a chubby serious face on before nodding and blinking with determination. The taller dark haired teen opened her mouth, closing it to a straight line then smoothly sat up straighter, slowly putting her confused sister next to her. Her head turned to an east direction, swiftly standing up and walking towards her quiver full of arrows and larger bow in the corner. Her parents grabbed Kaede and waited visibly tense, knowing what was happening just by staring at Kikyo's body language. Kaede was just confused but stayed silent due to the tenseness in the atmosphere that even _she _could feel.

"There is a rather large youkai heading this way rapidly. Stay here, Mother. Father, Kaede." She nodded at them sternly, leaving the hut and walking in a steady pace, her long white sleeves ruffled and ebony thigh length hair waved messily around her in its grip within the white ribbon. She infused energy into her body, lighting it with her pure white reiki and making her look almost ghostly. Once she reached her destination, she halted in her fast strides. One foot slid back, her hand moving and wrapping slender pale fingers around an arrow expertly pulling it out and easily getting into center position. Minutes passed by as villagers noticed their miko's position and rapidly hid away, some opening window's while peeking out cautiously.

* * *

Kikyo infused her white reiki to her arrow, distantly noting that it flared up at the tip first with a white fire like appearance before its warm fire flared around the arrow, making it take on a pure white long bright appearance. Not a minute later, rustling was heard in the distance as long tree's toppled downwards ending at the ground with a loud thud making the birds in the area rapidly fly away from both the menace and their homes being destroyed. Kikyo mentally remembered that she put up a large barrier over most of the huts with a touch of her hands spiked with a shield reiki, letting her relax the tense pose knowing that her village was safe before tuning back to the upcoming battle when multiple similar car sized youkai roared through with long razer claws and shark teeth covered in mostly dried blood, dirty grim, and dripping acid slob. Just as they roared loudly and broke the tree's to the village, she let loose her grip on her arrow, watching as it shot through the air cleanly leaving behind whisks of transparent smoke before shooting straight though the first large youkai and the two right behind it, turning them into white glitter while simultaneously grabbing another arrow easily and firing it neatly at the next youkai.

Kikyo sighed non-audibly and put back her arrow into its quiver with the few other left over arrows. She took in the yelling relief filled compliments in stride and bowed lightly before jogging back to her home. Pondering in a random moment while on her way, didn't Kikyo's parents die when she and Kaede were younger? Something definitely changed in the story and she _knew _it was because of her. _Her _her. Maybe it's because her powers were a bit more powerful this time? So now youkai don't exactly have a chance to harm her village…though she's not exactly a child anymore, what with being fifteen, so the question would be that they would either pass away while she's not in the village or some other kind of situation would arise. She narrowed her eyes in thought.

* * *

She regret's it. Oh how she regrets that she even _thought _it. Because now she jinxed herself and she can't object. Staring at the stern older man in front of her with a composed calm face, she internally smacked herself against a wall. She sighed. They could have a staring contest the whole day if let be, but she knew she had to go. It was her _duty _as a priestess. "Do not worry. I will help." She smiled calmly. The older man in front of her seemed to let his tense shoulders droop in relief before straitening once more and with a nod turned around, hoping back onto his horse, and giving the signal for his men to follow him, a group of male adult's with village attires following.

"Kikyo-onee-sama?" She tilted her head in acknowledgement but didn't move away. "Can I come with you?" Kikyo blinked surprised blue eyes at her younger sister staring with widened hopeful eyes at her. She bit her bottom lip in thought, then glanced away humming. Her eyes glanced back at their parents, raising an eyebrow at them. Maybe they would know what brought this? Her father smiled proudly, giving her one of his kind eye smiles that showed he fully trusted her on whatever decision she may take. Her mother had narrowed worry filled eyes but had a tiny smile of encouragement. They trusted her. She gazed back down at her younger blood sibling. If they left…..then would her parents die this time? She had an ominous feeling about future events, and it wasn't just because she knew what would happen because obviously she's not the same Kikyo so many of her actions have already changed most events. Huh. She wondered if she would even meet the silver haired dog hanyou. Hell, she most certainty didn't want to die again! At least not with such tragic sappiness god dammit.

Oh dear, she tuned out again. Thank goodness Kaede was used to her dazing out. She blinked back into excited and hopeful wide dark brown eyes. Then let her composed face crumble a bit. Kaede yelled in excitement and glomped her older sister, wrapping her tinier arms around her slim waist, while thanking her over and over again. Kikyo sighed with a tiny smile, patting her younger sister on the head with one hand, the other over her back. Her parents chuckle filled the atmosphere. She closed her eyes and let herself remember this scene and their voices just in case.

* * *

"Kaede, you _do _know if you go with me, we will have to camp out in the time's when we have not reached the village yet?" Kikyo inquired softly, tugging the familiar feeling of her quiver filled with arrows and her bow fisted in her pale hand calmly, her head turned towards her younger sister who nodded with determination firing in her eyes. Kikyo laughed and ruffled Kaede's hair, making the younger girl pout. "Let us go then." She smiled down at the younger girl before turning to their parents and walking to them, hugging both of them for a moment as they reciprocated with one of their own hugs. They had to get used to her physical show of affections since young, she displayed hugs to her family and only people extremely close to her (only her family at this point.) Kaede followed her sister and briefly hugged both smiling parents, both younger girls waving at the brightly smiling couple who looked to have suspiciously misty eyes.

* * *

"You did good, Kaede." Kikyo smiled down at her sister, patting her head affectionately. Kaede beamed at the praise, happily eating her own cooked fish after giving her older sister the other. The dark haired teenager ate calmly with one hand; the other lightly holding her bow against her shoulder; already used to the difference in food because of her training with the elder priestesses. Heaven's , if she wasn't taught by them she knew she could never have survived the wilderness, never mind her own village. "Kikyo-onee-sama?" Kikyo tilted her head towards Kaede, showing she was listening even as she finished her fish and lightly put it down, searching with her spiritual reiki to feel if there were any youkai near them. "Kikyo-onee-sama, why are youkai so bad?" Kaede's softly questioned. Kikyo glanced back at her younger sister, then turned her head fully towards her when she luckily felt that the various yokai were weaker ones, putting a transparent white pure shield around their space. "Kaede…"Kikyo would lie if she said she wasn't surprised.

However, everyone _was _once a child, so naturally they get curious about everything. Kaede turned her head to her onee-sama and stared with some sadness and a tiny boding hatred in her eyes at the mention of youkai. Kikyo sighed. No no. She should change the youngsters mind before it blows out of proportion like most of the human population. "Kaede, not _all _youkai are bad." She told her softly. Kaede's eyes widened and she blinked confused and innocent eyes up at her. "Remember Kaede, being evil is a _choice_. There are humans who are _worse _than youkai, and youkai who are kinder than human's." She softly reprimanded the child. Kaede took the words with wide intense eyes and a slightly gaping mouth, and Kikyo amused herself thinking the young child may have just had an epiphany.

Kaede nodded slowly, non-blinking eyes. Kikyo blinked. She really hoped she didn't just break her younger sister. Ah wait. "But that doesn't mean you can be friendly towards just anyone. We live in a dangerous world, so see with unblinking eyes and hear with ignorance." Kaede blinked slowly, nodding while closing and opening her small mouth. Kikyo wondered if she was corrupting her sister. Huh. Maybe it's too late to change her mind…She glanced back down at the dumb-struck look, then glanced upwards to the sky with a light sigh. Definitely late.


	5. Training

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**Training**

Three. Three long years. It almost seems like it happened only yesterday. Her trip to the village lasted three days and two nights until they arrived, the villagers were so thankful towards her after they witnessed her easily purify the three giant hog youkai with three exact accurate arrows fused with her pure white spiritual essence. They stayed for the night after the insistent folks who just wouldn't take no for an answer.

After a night full of calmly radiating out her raiki to purify any leftover bad miasma from the putrid acid's, the miko was about to leave the town the next day when one of the visiting villagers from another village close by pleaded to help his village from its never ending sun, having witnessed the powerful miko in action the day before. Supposedly, it never rained and the sun was drying up the crops, leaving family's with fewer food every closing day. She had observed the panicked man with a calm façade while reading his aura. Finding it truthful, she asked Kaede if she wished to go back home or stay with her.

She stayed, with a tad bit more excitement than normal. And so, after the man repacked his food's and horse, they followed after. Kikyo enlightened her younger sister with her questions, giving amusing answers herself. Even having some rather light hearted conversations with the man, though that changed when she got down to business and inquired about the village and its state.

She won't bore you with the details of what exactly happened but she _will _say that she didn't exactly expect her reputation to have already started without her even knowing. Okay, so jumping from village to village _might_ have been the beginning—ah. Never mind. The beginning already started when she finished her training with the elder priestesses. It seemed the villagers at her home were_ quite_ proud of her status if their spread rumors were anything to go by it. So imagine her surprise when she arrived at an unknown village, only to receive some awing glances at her attire and weapon. Her sister was an angel in those moments, saving her from having awkward conversations by reminding them of their youkai problem.

* * *

However, both of them were unprepared for the news that awaited them when they could finally return home after a few months.

_"__Kaede, don't run too fast or you'll fall!" I jogged after her, smiling slightly at her happy and excited expression. "But we finally get to see mom and dad, onee-sama!" She panted, keeping the same pace in front of me. I shook my head lightly, smiling in relief that 'Yes. We can finally see them again.' _

_Something was wrong. I halted in my tracks, turning my head to the side. Kaede stopped abruptly, looking alarmed and cautious of my reaction with wide eyes glancing around. Everything was the same. Same sky, same huts, same villagers, same atmosphere. My eye brows narrowed. 'No.' Something has changed. A sort of sadness hidden beneath the light. And then as I stretched out my spiritual reiki to feel for the familiar aura's, I froze at what I found. It…..happened….a familiar aura was walking closer to us, and when he was within reach, I recognized him as one of our father's friend's, Yutaro-san. He was an older man, in his sixty's with white hair on the edges of his dark buzz haircut, light brown eyes gazing sadly at us. _

_"__Were sorry, Kikyo-san, Kaede-chan." He dropped his head in an apologetic bow. Biting my tongue, I softly grasped a suddenly frantic Kaede into my arms, hugging her tightly and feeling her tremors from her body. "There was a youkai attack, and the elder's came too late…" His voice trembled a bit, and I knew even as I saw his aura that he was truly apologizing for not getting there earlier…earlier to his friends…earlier to my father and mother. "I apologize. We had the duty to protect the village with you gone and yet…" _

_"__It is alright, Yutaro-san." I whispered with a tiny smile at the man. I held my sister's trembling and loudly wailing person closer to my warm figure. "It is alright." I whispered. I don't know if it's for myself or more for my sister. At that moment though, I knew that I couldn't be everywhere at once. I wasn't 'superwoman', I wasn't invincible, and I wasn't perfect. Even though I __knew_ _something was going to happen, why didn't I listen sooner? Why didn't I postpone it? I bit my lip harshly, feeling a bit relieved when the physical pain took away some of the hurting inside. I am a miko. It is my __duty_. _Kikyo functioned differently. I know that. I know because it's mostly the cultures difference. Kikyo was __raised __to believe that all youkai were evil and must be purified, Kikyo was __raised_ _to behave as was expected of a miko of her caliber…..but Kikyo wasn't __raised_ _by her parents, neither was the old Kaede. I knew and yet…I chuckled dryly, shaking my head. Ahh. I knew I missed being in that pane of nothingness for a reason. _

_Kaede would maybe hate me if she knew of what I thought….of my suppose 'knowledge' yet being unable to really change anything because that was exactly what I was doing. Letting the pieces fall despite knowing where they will land._

After _that_…happened, the older folks who were close to her parents began visiting them at their hut, giving them their condolences and gifts for their new situation. The sisters were thankful but the memories were too fresh. Kikyo wished to resume traveling, and Kaede followed after. Both knew that the hut had too many memories from their family, maybe after a while they would stay for a short time. After the wounds healed. And so, that was exactly what they did. Kikyo began teaching her younger sister more and more on miko training, and various healing herbs and edible vegetation with various information from her younger training time while traveling to different villages. Kaede worked hard on remembering the non-ending herb names and their uses while at the same time trying to pass her sisters…._'training'._

* * *

"Onee-sama, this is torture!" Kaede wobbly lied down on the green grass, eyes swirling in anime swirls. Kikyo squatted down on her legs and leaned her cheek onto her hand, blinking down completely amused by the anime gesture. _'I never get tired of it. Looks so fascinating.'_

"What are you talking about, Kaede? I haven't even started!" Kikyo stifled her laugh with her hand at the horror-stricken look on her younger sister's face. "Kikyo-onee-sama!" Kaede loudly exclaimed while pounding her fists tiredly at the ground. Kikyo rolled her eyes. "Why don't you look at it this way?" She raised a slim index finger, brown eyes hesitantly following the gesture unsurely. "Think of it as the glass half full, not half empty." She eye smiled innocently. Kaede groaned onto her palms before abruptly sitting up, a fist raised with determined eyes turning towards her highly amused older sister.

"I'll do it, onee-sama! I will pass your training and become strong!" She exclaimed with fire literally burning from her pupils. Kikyo laughed and stood up, brightly clasping her hands together in front of her, noticing how her younger sister's determined expression faltered slightly from her own _very _innocent bright eye smile. "That's great! Now lets resume the tor—_cough_—training!" She exclaimed, happily ignoring her change in words. Kaede blinked horrified eyes up at her sister. She didn't know if she was glad to be on her good side or not.


	6. Hot Springs

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**Hot Springs**

"I will _eat _you for dinner, you damn pervert!"

"Ahh! Kikyo-onee-sama, please don't fry them!"

"Let go Kaede! They'll see what happens when—_hya!"_

"Onee-sama! Are you alright?! I told you it was slippery around the edges!"

"_Ohh, _lucky little bastards….nature was on _their_ side today…"

And that's where you find our main cast at the moment. Kikyo grumbled to herself about 'idiotic perverted mammals who can't keep their paws to themselves' as Kaede sighed and shook her head at her sister's temper. The younger girl could proudly say that she and her sister were very close by now; after all, three years traveling together would do that to a person. Even if her sister is weird at times. Kaede glanced at the older eighteen year old woman. Kikyo gracefully walked back inside the hot spring before stopping at the edge, changed her mind and splashed her feet towards her younger sister playfully when she entered, leaving a frozen spluttering-out-water-from-her-mouth Kaede with a deadpanned expression as a final squirt of water flew out her mouth. _Definitely weird._ Kaede laughed to herself after watching her sister accidentally slip again inside the hot spring.

But she knew that her older sister only acted closely towards familiar people, mainly, now only her. Her demeanor changed to a composed and calm mask when purifying youkai, though considerably warmer towards people she chooses. Kaede shook her head from her thoughts. Her sister would always be one big mystery, she thought dryly. Even _she _herself was affected by her sisters strange mixed words at times, not counting on the fact that she was used to it by now. "Kaede." She instinctively turned her head at the sound of her older sisters voice. Blinking up past her dripping wet bangs, "Yes, Kikyo-onee-sama?"

Kikyo smiled and grabbed her long wet dark knee length locks over her shoulder, starting to brush them with her hands as she continued her sentence. "Kaede, your improving much with your training." She praised with a warm smile on her face, though ruined the heartwarming moment when she burst out into loud laughter not a minute later at the disbelief and flabbergasted look on her younger sisters face directed straight at her. "Onee-sama, that is _not _training! That is _clearly _torture!" Kikyo stifled her laughter with her hand, leaning her shaking upper body onto the rocks at the side, trying to breath as her younger sisters grumbles made way to her ears.

"Your trying to _kill _me. I must have missed something but this was _not _on my contract." Kaede stated playfully haughty, crossing her arms across her chest. Kikyo stilled and turned around, gazing at her younger sister with carefully restrained new laughter and highly amused azure blue eyes. "You've been together with me for _way _too long. Look at that, already picking up on my speech's. I don't know if I should be proud or horrified that I succeeded in corrupting my sister." Kikyo mused to herself out loud, watching as Kaede scoffed with a big smile. Kikyo chuckled and shook her head at their antics.

* * *

"The night sky is lovely, nee?" Kikyo sighed long, leisurely relaxing her tense muscles and leaning back against the rock wall, tilting her head back and staring at the dark night sky illuminated by small sparkles of stars, the full moon shining softly on them. Kikyo loved to bask in the moon's light, so she adamantly protested against any sort of light on their fields to the hot springs. Though Kaede silently agreed with her sister that 'natures beauty was around them, so why not indulge?' Even if that _was_ her sister words, she has a strange love and fascination with nature. Kaede glanced once more at her older sister and wondered with disbelief and a bit proud at how beautiful and spiritual her sister looked under the moon's faded blue gleam, highlighting the droplets in her darker wet hair, her skin appearing to glow paler under the light.

"Maybe we should go back and stay for a short time again?" Kikyo suddenly asked, tilting her head towards her younger sister, raising an eyebrow when Kaede blinked and shook her head before nodding. "When was the last time we stayed?" Kaede questioned while swimming around in the hot spring, sighing in relief from her sore muscles though grumbling about the harshness, Kikyo watching with an impassive face even if her eye's twinkled with amusement.

"Remember that I can't train you physically _too _hard since it might stunt your growth. I can only help little by little in the spiritual sense. Even though it's been three years, you have grown well, Kaede. You just need to be patience since our spiritual energy has different quantities, am adjusting the training to suit more with your figure and spiritual sense. And I do not remember quite so well. If I recall, it may have been an estimate of two months." Kaede stared at her sister with a gaping mouth and widened disbelief filled eyes. Kikyo raised a questioning eyebrow and hid her smile behind her hand. "This could not have been told earlier!? I would have understood more then!" Kikyo chuckled and shook her head, long silky locks flowing around her in the hot pure water. "You would have been too young to understand Kaede. At this time you understand much more since you know how I function now." She eye smiled. Kaede pouted but nodded her head slowly. Her sister _did _have a point there….

* * *

Her eyes widened. "Two months?!" Kikyo nodded calmly, leaning her head back and gently closing her eyes, sighing at her now loose muscles. She knew she had been correct in putting that barrier around their area. Her reiki felt youkai, some stronger ones walking close by but failing to walk through her barrier unless they felt like getting purified. "Kikyo-onee-sama, what about that close village we were about to enter?" Kikyo opened her eyes and glanced at her fidgeting younger sister. "Would you like to resume our trip? A village is on the way towards our home." She lightly said, feeling a bit drowsy.

Kaede blinked and tilted her head adorably before nodding with a wide smile. "If they need help, we can do it!" She brought her fist up, determination firing through her eyes. Kikyo fleetingly contemplated if Kaede was ever this fired up when she was young in the anime? She tilted her head in consideration, closing her eyes and wrecking through her memories for the information of a young Kaede. _Hmm. _Alright so….she narrowed her eyebrows…..she wasn't _exactly _the same as the Kaede in the anime. _This_ Kaede was more outgoing and brave, oh yes, and more powerful. But that was due to herself for training the younger girl on their travels. Huh. She blinked, staring back into the familiar dark blue sky and pale moonlight.

* * *

"Ahh, I love nature~" Kikyo mewed while sliding down the mushy greenery of the rock, and letting out air bubbles from her mouth, mentally chuckling at Kaede's confused but amused expression. Her eye's narrowed however, when an ominous feeling shifted over her, making her wary and cautious. Her body involuntarily tensed, Kaede eyeing her sister for any battle sign's. "It is alright, Kaede. I just have a bad feeling about the coming events is all." Kikyo stated gently, gracefully rising out of the hot spring, ebony locks swiftly flowing pass the back of her knees. Kaede relaxed and mumbled an 'alright, onee-sama' before rising herself, following after her older sister who began changing after drying herself with the small clothe, handing it to Kaede after a brief patting of her body. Kikyo raised her head and stared up at the dark sky, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. She knew it was _something_, she just couldn't for the life of her remember what the hell it was. Sigh. Though, on the other hand. She glanced back at the hot spring. There weren't _only_ negative's to the situation. Hot spring banzai!


	7. Tsubaki Arc 1

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**Tsubaki Arc 1**

Oh dear. Oh my. Omo. Ara. Oh my goodness. Oh my god-Wait. wait, wait, wait, wait! what was that damn name again? Something with a _'tsu' _or of the like..._Medusa? Venus? _No no, that's Greek, were in ancient Japan with those priests and dark priestesses who-_Aha!_ Tsubaki! Knew that _'tsu'_ was in there _somewhere_! Alas, she didn't know what else could explain her current situation, sue her for having a poor vocabulary. Kikyo's blue eyes calmly stared back into priestess Tsubaki's calculating eye's. She internally thanked herself with a pat on the back for thinking to put a spiritual shield around her mind and body when she was younger. Because she was _certainty_ going to need it for this part. Ahh. So it has begun, has it. Yes, yes. She remembered bits and pieces on what was about to happen in more than a few minutes from now.

_I should win a Grammy award for actress of the year_, Kikyo thought with humor behind her calm and composed mask in her politely bowed position as she switched her eyes back down, watching how her younger sister copied her light bow. Good girl. Tsubaki, in all her glory of the same exact dark clothing of the anime except with sheen black long hair walked by with one of the village's priests. _God dammit, I should have freaking read the manga too! It may have given important information as well! _Kikyo sighed grimly, oh well. She straightened from her bow and turned to walk down the path of the village, Kaede following with a wary glance backwards. Kikyo smiled. Her younger sister must have noticed the high spiritual power beneath Tsubaki. They entertained themselves on the walk to the village with depicting just what some of the cloud's looked like. You can figure how _that _worked out.

"That one looked like a rabbit, onee-sama!"

"Hmm….alright, true it does indeed appear to be similar to the form of a rabbit. Okay! That one looks like an amputated arm!"

"E-eto…okay, that one looks like a tiny frog!"

"That one looks like a chopped off tongue!"

"…._cough….._That one...looks like a fluffy cat!"

"That one looks like a decapitated screaming head!"

"KIKYO-ONEE-SAMA!"

"Hm? What?"

"Stop it Onee-sama! Everything your saying is so gory!"

"_Gasp!_ Where did you learn that word, young lady?!"

"FROM _YOU!_"

"…..Ohohoho~"

Kikyo hid her laughing mouth behind one of her long white sleeves, but didn't stop the sound from bounding out of her, Kaede huffing in exasperation at her older sister's teasing nature and surprising gory side. By the time they reached the edge of the village, Kikyo chuckled one last time and patted her smaller sister on the head comfortingly. Kaede's eyes softened and she pouted at her own reaction. Kikyo turned her head when she felt a pure aura similar to that of a priest coming towards the pair, and swiftly composed herself calmly.

The young man appeared a minute later from the very same direction Kikyo was patiently staring at and he blushed lightly at the deep traditional beauty in front of him before focusing back on the problem and explaining to the young woman the youkai problem, though his light blush never ceased to stray. When he finished, she bowed her head and thanked him with a small smile. "It seems that you already have a priestess on your hands." She mused softly, he stuttered loudly, "It is alright, I will do what I can. Thank you." She bowed once more and turned back around; steadily making her way to the manifesting youkai she could feel increasing.

* * *

The greenery was beautifully healthy, flowers growing in various places here and there as she boldly walked towards the center of a youkai aura infested area. Kaede stood back after receiving a glance from her sister, hiding behind one of the rock's but her small bow and arrows in position downwards. Kikyo glanced sideways just as Tsubaki decided to come out of her hiding place, eyes just as calculating as the first time. She glanced to the side at the little girl behind the rock, Kaede flinching back but keeping her stance. Tsubaki stared pensive. "Is that girl your little sister, Kikyo?" Kikyo turned her head towards her, feeling the youkai aura coming in abruptly faster. _Hold up, wait a minute, how'd she know my name? Granted we may have reputations but—ohh that's right!_She mentally snapped her fingers in an Einstein light bulb moment. _Wasn't she jealous of Kikyo or something?_ She opened her mouth to respond but snapped it back shut and swiftly turned back towards the abrupt darkness of the sky, where a large youkai dark hole appeared covering the entity of the sky over them.

She calmly pulled out her arrow and switched her bow to a waiting position, "Are you sure about this, Kikyo-dono? I am perfectly capable of handling this alone." Kikyo put her bow low, an arrow in her other hand as she stared intently at the dark slowly swirling hole. _Maybe that's what black holes in space are made of? Youkai. _She mentally snorted. "Take your sister and get back." She blinked her blue eyes. _Oh yeah, Tsubaki was talking…ah damn I spaced out._ "No need to worry." Her lips moved out of their own accordance and she high fived her brain for its brilliant random moments. _Yes! Kikyo __did__ indeed say those words…..I think._ "Am impressed. Your own sister may be in danger, yet you refuse to budge."

Kikyo unharacteristically rolled her eyes, Tsubaki blinking in astonishment and disbelief. "I trust in her." She smiled softly, calmly bringing her bow and arrow in position, letting its white pure transparent gas like fire surround it in a second before releasing it, sharply piercing a large purple snake like youkai, the gleam shifting towards close by demons and purifying at least four more with that first arrow. Tsubaki smirked in her own battle. Kikyo's spiritual power's glowed brighter than before, Tsubaki glancing back and noting that yes. That woman has gotten stronger. Again! Her eyes narrowed slightly, concentrating back into her fights, and briefly noting that it appeared as if Kikyo had been teaching the small child some archery skill.

* * *

The pink light surrounded the tip of the arrow and about less than half before she let her arrow pierce one of the demons, shooting another one rapidly after since her arrows and spiritual reiki weren't strong yet for one arrow to take on a full youkai. Kaede sternly repeated her sisters torture training in her mind, her tense body flowing from the repeated gestures she was now familiar with. She glanced back at her older sister, eyes widening. Whoa. She never failed to get amazed from her sister's powers. Kikyo's arrow cleanly burst through a large long serpent green youkai, the following purifying dust rapidly following onto youkai close by and purifying every demon surrounding her into white glittering dust. Kaede hurriedly turned back and let go of another arrow, hitting a large youkai as she let loose three more arrows until the large youkai disappeared. Tsubaki's fights were also over as her side was finished cleanly, calmly walking beside Kikyo afterwards.

Kikyo furrowed her eyebrows downwards. Her sixth sense was crawling all over her body, just _telling _her that _something _was going to happen….but didn't everything already happen? This _'Tsubaki Arc part 1' _thing. She slowly tracked her eyes on every dead carnage, feeling Tsubaki's and Kaede's gaze's on her but ignoring both. This was something _very _important. She knew that in a little bit, Tsubaki would try to place a curse on her then something with the shikon then onigumo….augh! She mentally rolled around on the floor. _Nada! Zipto! Nothing! She couldn't remember just what was so god damn freaking important about this scene! _ Outwardly, she sighed calmly, her face composing back to a calm one. "Let's go, Kaede." She bowed lightly at a narrowly staring Tsubaki and turned around, walking away to the path that leads back to their home, Kaede following after a brief glance at the other miko.

* * *

The pale long haired miko softly thanked Tsubaki for her assistance and bowed lightly, walking back towards the way to her village with her younger sister bowing with her and following afterwards.

"Are you sure you don't want your reward?" Kikyo halted in her steps, recognizing this scene. She sighed non-audibly. _"_Yes, you may have it, Tsubaki-dono." She turned her head and looked in the side view at the closing-her-eyes Tsubaki. "I see. Well then. Thank you." She politely bowed her head once more, looking back forward and resuming her walk. _Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, what do we do, we swim swim!—"_Kikyo-dono." _Fuck._ _What can I do to interrupt her!? Damn it think! Think woman! _"Here is a bit of advice from one priestess to another." _Shit! Wait, didn't I put a mind barrier around myself? Can that crap even get expired?! What the hell am I going to do?! Random shit, Go!_ "I apologize, Tsubaki-dono, but I am in a rather unusual situation and must be in a hurry to the next village." She bowed calmly, giving the flabbergasted and now angered priestess an apologetic look on her face when she straightened, turning back around and resuming her pace once more in a more rapid walk, her confused sister following after her older sister.

* * *

"No I did not run away, Kaede. It is called a tactful retreat." Kikyo stated calmly, walking forward while trying to hide her lifting laughter at the deadpanned face her younger sister was giving her. Honestly, the girl was hanging out _way _too much with her. She gave up and laughter freely left her lips, her sister laughing with her at the absurd situation. "I honestly thought my mind barrier would get expired." Kikyo mumbled to herself, closing her eye's and probing the upper body's chords with her white energy. "What was _that _about, Kikyo-onee-sama?" She opened her eyes again and continued walking, patting her chuckling younger sister in the head. "That Tsubaki is deceitful. She wanted to place a curse on me." "Curse, huh….onee-sama even noticed _those _kinds of signs, amazing…" The older dark haired miko lightly patted Kaede on the head.

_'__Hm, so my mind barrier is still intact. Wonder why I suddenly panicked?...Because the same exact events happened even though I changed things... honestly didnt expect that...fate is a tougher bitch than what I thought. _Kikyo sighed long, tilting her head upwards at the blue sky. _Maybe I just need a hot spring. Yeah. A hot spring. _She let her lips tilt to a small pout, Kaude chuckling at the adorable childish expression on her sisters pale beauty face.


	8. Awkward Relationship

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**Awkward Relationship**

"That's a nice start, Kaede" Said brown haired girl brightened immediately, "Only two hundred more!" And deflated afterwards with a loud grunt. She chuckled to herself. "Remember to be careful with the more fragile sides." Kaede nodded reluctantly at first but ended the gesture with a determined nod, returning to her task. The experienced miko observed closely the way Kaede handled the various herb's in front of her smaller figure, mumbling to herself on its ingredients from what she could faintly hear a meter or so away. They were at least—Kikyo raised her head, light azure eyes following the leisurely moving white clouds, obscuring almost half of the blue sky from her vision. It had to be about maybe less than mid-day by now. Though she _could _be wrong, she never _was _one for paying attention to time heh.

They stayed a minor distance away from the familiar visible village in the distance, near one of the tiny clear rivers that connected towards it. As they have been doing for the past three years, right before arriving they would take a break again and she would continue on with the last of what she was teaching. Though she _did _take many break's just for the sake of teaching Kaede most of what she learned on her tor—_cough_ , Learning time. _Huh…..maybe those elder's affected me more than I thought_, she glanced at a hard-working nonstop Kaede, _Eh, she'll live. _She nodded proudly at her own conclusion before sighing softly while staring at the animated view her now blue eyes were taking in. Under the shade of the middle sized tree, the light shined in various different shaped spots across her face and calmly-leaning-side-ways on the trunk of the tree.

The sun's heat took form in transparent yellow ray's across the miniature greenery they were sitting on, the glittering reflection in the water reflecting light back in fast shifting gleam's as even the wind decided to take part in the portrait-like-scenery. _How haughty._ She mused while appreciating the abrupt invigorating breeze. The mellow resonance from the leaves right atop her gave her a sluggish feel of laziness, white warm spots from under the shadow of the tree shifting with the gale.

She huffed in amusement, slowly grabbing the flowing locks that were encasing her in its darkness. _I wonder how in the world it stays so soft…._Her hair never looked to be in bad need, even after puberty. _Hot Springs. _The blue in her eyes glinted. _Definitely hot springs. Orr…if I think realistically, those herbs might be_ _what is resulting in such_….she took a flowing strand and tucked it back, letting it flow swiftly from her fingertips….'_fabulous' hair. _Hey wait a minute…she blinked abrupt stunned eyes at her epiphany of the day. _Everyone in the god damn anime has fabulous hair! And they even live in the freaking Ancient of Japan!_ _How the hell is that even possible?!—You know what…never mind. Anime never has common sense. _She snorted.

"Onee-sama! We need more of these!" _Right, back to ancient Japanese anime earth with_ _actual plots_. She lowered her head and blinked. _Hoo. _"Your right, let us get as much of those green leaves as possible." She proudly nodded at her younger beaming sister who instantly went up to the steadily flowing river, gently beginning to clean the leaves of its dirt. Her eyes turned back to the half-finished bundle a meter a way, then she raised her head back to the sky, noting that the lovely colors mixed wonderfully into a soft fading glow of yellow and blueish lavender. She blinked slowly. _When the hell did I get so poetic? _Chuckling at her own thoughts, she shook her head and gracefully stood up from her lazily leaned position, steadily grabbing her weapon's in her hand and shrugging the quiver over her shoulder.

Yawning behind one long white sleeve, she peeked one eye open at her younger sister who was now almost finished cleaning the whole bundle in both her smaller hands. "That is a good amount, Kaede. You have finished much today as well." She smiled warmly. Kaede blushed but nodded, evidently a bit proud at her own progress with herbs. "That is because of Kikyo-onee-sama's Spartan training." She paused in her walking footsteps, giving a deadpanned Kaede a _very _amused look. "Yes, onee-sama. It is _you_ who has taught me this….these _words._" Kikyo hummed lightly to herself, resuming her walk while sending a grumbling Kaede an approving look. "Now, now, remember, tough love." She chanted good naturedly, patting a still blushing Kaede on the head. "What _'tough love'_, your just secretly a sadist." In response to her younger sisters grumble, Kikyo could only laugh and laugh because somehow even she herself knew that Kaede's grumbling face was just too adorable in those tough training times.

At that, internally she contemplated how she was ever going to even go about 'purifying' the Shikon no Tama…when she certainly wasn't as closed minded as the miko's here appeared to be, didn't that mean she was impure or something? Not that she was close with the other miko's in training alongside her but the rare moments the elders questioned her on her thoughts of youkai, her answers would always spark a political type of argument where she would calmly and very stubbornly _refuse_ to change her mind and opinion on how she viewed thing's.

They would have ceased her training had she not had the dangerous amount of uncontrolled spiritual essence inside her. She couldn't really blame them honestly, this world _was _created in the format it is shown, plus that's how generations of generations have been passed on_. Being prejudice towards beings not similar to what you look like._ _And those don't count the youkai who just can't seem to take a warning when she flashes her spirit energy in advance every time. _Thank goodness she was born in the more modern times where all that hardcore segregation and racism have at least _limits. _Whoa, did she just government herself? Oh my god.

"Kikyo-onee-sama, I-I _do _appreciate that y-you have trained me so much in…t-these years!" She blinked twice at the stumbling sentence, then chuckled when she realized that Kaede had gotten the wrong idea of her silence. Her slender pale hand petted the shorter girl's head, causing her ramble to stop in second mid-sentence. "I was just lost in my thoughts Kaede", Even got lost. _I can't believe I can't even trust myself in my own thoughts, _"It is nothing you have said or done. Do not worry so much." She eye smiled down at the embarrassed but relieved looking girl who nodded.

"Okay…the sky is really pretty isn't it." Kaede rapidly raised her head after, intently gazing upwards at the sharp contrast of coloring between the sky. Kikyo followed and observed the beautiful shades and sharp contrast of shades, appearing as a half sky even. One side covering of blue's and fading lavender while the other in deep orange and clear yellow downwards. "It is an unusual sight indeed….but most appreciative, nature-sama." She chuckled lightly to herself, fully intent on capturing the image with her memory. Kaede turned towards her sister, tightening her hold on her shifting bounded herbs and materials inside the green cloth around her neck and behind her back. "Onee-sama," she called out, Kikyo tilted her head in acknowledgment though gazing eyes never lost its focus, "Why do you like nature so much?" She always questioned that in rather random moments, Kikyo absentmindedly noted again. She glanced towards the approaching village. _And I always give the same responses. Yet she never seems to tire of it. _A small curve of her lips and Kikyo found herself with the familiar forlorn emotion. Without pause, she replied, "I couldn't appreciate it before, so am appreciating it now." She smiled, knowing that her younger sister has the same expression on her face now as each of those other times.

An expression of badly hidden confusion, determination to figure out just _what _the words could mean, and some worry from the natural tone that just fuses with those words. The worry she could do without though, it would just remind her of her situation, _sigh, _even when she expected to go to heaven (or at least just disappear; she honestly wasn't picky at the time), her easy acceptance of the circumstances in which she found herself in wasn't as bad as the realization of just what the hell she was going to do.

Cause let's admit it. She was screwed from up to down and sideways. So she did what she used to do best. Just…go with the flow. Or at least, you know, become a god damn stubborn as hell rock that will stay in that freaking place because fucking dammit if she was one thing it was stubborn. Thinking about it, how old was she now? Twenty in colledge….(_all that hard work…down the drain…I doubt knowing how the square root of three would help kill a demon. Do enlighten me.) _Dear kamisama, was she _actually _thirty-eight?! Her soul was thirty-eight… —you know, she could actually roll with it_. As in, be like a sugar momma or something. _A small shiver of disgust waved through her spine, causing her nose to crinkle slightly in displeasure. _Augh, bad bad image. Very __very__ bad image. Never again. That shouldn't even be a documented vision, ugh. _"Let us rest once we arrive, Kaede. I will then check on any disturbances or healing to be done or looked upon." _Keep the bad bad images away._ "Alright, Kikyo-onee-sama." She nodded her head with a smile. Kikyo discerned that they were just almost crossing the entrance of their calm village, sighing with a small smile when the short conversation succeeded in diverting the awful picture from her head.

* * *

Concentrating on the village's aura the moment their footsteps crossed the familiar hard sand path, she almost stopped her walking; thankfully preceding in a calm way despite the fact that her younger sister was now giving her a _very _amused wide-eyed look due to her almost silent fall down the lovely dirt, only emitting a non-audible squeak (_A __tiny__ squeak I tell you. __Very tiny.__)_

She did not dignify Kaede's stifled laughter with a response, instead playfully walking 'royally' now and giving a huff of amusement at herself for her random clumsiness. One of these days, it would literally end her. Anyway, back to Aura searching. The fact that there has not been any youkai didn't exactly surprise her since it wasn't like the village was known for its 'Juicy human appendages , discount sale on hut number nine' or whatever…..Huh. So she could even bring back sarcasm. Ahh, side-tracked. _I really need to concentrate sigh._

What _did _surprise her was that she could feel unfamiliar aura's, not too fresh meaning they were gone for a while now. Her eyes narrowed, the white spirit energy inside of her zapping with what she knew by now on instinct was a warning of danger. _What danger though? What have I not accounted for? _ It left just as quickly as it came and she was left feeling a bit cautious, none of her thoughts shifting outwards to her calm mask of concentration.

As they walked down the calm huts with dozing aura's, she reached with her aura cautiously around, feeling the familiar spirit energy of her villager's in a large amount right in front of her home. She blinked, but never ceased her figures pace even after relaxing her slightly tense figure. _Why would they be in such an abundance? I did not sense anyone injured…it must be important if they have directly been waiting right at our hut however…._her eyes widened in abrupt remembrance and she almost tripped again, this time verbally voicing out her annoyance at her bi polar legs, giving a this-time-laughing-out-loud-and-not-even-trying-to-hide-it Kaede a playful glare. Kaede stifled her laughter this time, glancing every second or so at her snorting-at-herself older sister.

* * *

_Shit. Dammit. It's time. Siiigh. Honestly, I have no idea what I am going to do. _Kikyo thought with horrifying humor. _Maybe I'll just wing it? Yeah, wing it. Am going to wing it. _"Kikyo-onee-sama, what are you doing?" "Am going to wing it." _Oh…...that was supposed to stay as __inner__ monologue….Kaede child, you have scary coincidences to ask the most right questions at the wrong time ._"Wing..it?" Kaede tested the words herself, blinking in astonishment when even _she_, who was an expert at her Onee-sama's strange wording's could not understand what it meant at all, even if that was not what she was expecting as an answer to her question on why her older sister was being unusually clumsy today.

"Yes. It is an expression of freely doing an action with no thought's behind it." _Did I just diss myself? _Kikyo blinked in amusement. "I believe we're close, Kaede." She calmly stated, glancing down at a blinking-multiple-times Kaede. The smaller child seemed to get what Kikyo was indirectly telling her and she smoothly evaded her spirit energy from Kaede's loosely weak one, blue eyes closely regarding every detail of the pinkish aura. Kaede _was _improving, at a slower rate but still improving. She smiled calmly despite the now audible muffled conversations closing in as they didn't cease their pace.

_You know, I wonder if I'll be forever only remembering the scene's when they happen right in the moment and not beforehand. _She deadpanned mentally when she came into view of the talking villagers. _That is a great disadvantage, I'll have you know._ One of them caught sight of her and her younger sister, rapidly catching the attention from the group who instantly turned towards their long dark-haired still pale calm-smiling-softly miko and her younger sister that observed everything with confused blinking eyes. Kikyo bowed her head lightly once they stopped a few feet from the large group of villagers. Women with their child, men in their usual garbs, even elderly were mixed in the batch .

And they all looked like they had the same thing to convey but one of them, she observed keenly behind calm eyes; walked forward almost urgently and he appeared to be the one to give her _that_ message. He bowed his head back hurriedly at her usual manners, "Welcome home, Kikyo-sama." Another man with the traditional topknot dark hair and tan complexion stepped in afterwards, _If the message would be the same, couldn't just one person have told me? _She internally mused, "Kikyo-sama….a demon slayer came looking for you this morning. When I explained that you were away…he said he would return tonight." The man hesitantly explained with confused furrowed eyebrows, small worry expressed clearly through every person there. _Then again, the village's strength is as one. _Her eyes softened and she nodded. "When this person arrives, I will see what they want. Please do not worry." She eye smiled at the man who relaxed at her placid reassurance and took steps back into the now slightly relaxed bunch of older people. "Thank you for telling me of such. I will at this moment be checking the shields on the home's once more before I rest in, so do not be alarmed if a sudden warm light surrounds your home for a second." She patiently clarified before lightly bowing at the now calm dispersing crowd.

"Kaede, stay in the hut and please start the food?" Kikyo ended the statement as an inquire with a raised eyebrow at her sudden energized younger sister. "Understood, Kikyo-onee-sama!" Kaede blinked large beaming eyes at her before zipping straight by into the hut, Kikyo blinking at the after-image dots of her younger sister's figure which was now only the dots blinking. Turning swiftly around to begin her rounds, she put a white sleeve covered hand over her mouth, restraining her laughter only achieving to reduce it to muffled chuckles. _I never tire of seeing those small anime elements._

* * *

"Ah, I apologize Himirusa-san. Please, continue on with your night." Kikyo bowed lightly at the squinting younger man, before he too just closed his eyes and re-entered his hut. She chuckled at hearing the rather noisy thud of something falling and hitting soft ground, twisting her body around and walking past the hut she just lightly touched for twenty seconds. It was a good thing that most of the villagers were used to her placing her shields around their huts for youkai protection since she was younger. Not that they all liked it, they reluctantly accepted the protection for their sakes.

_This is about the eleventh person who's woken up. _Her hand lit up in the warm transparent gas like white glow before directly placing the glowing appendage on the wall of wood of the hut. _Am a bit relieved that these last for at least a week nevertheless._ After she was sure twenty or more seconds passed, the light slowly faded out from her hand as she let it hang back to her side. Azure eyes glanced up at the pulsing transparent white energy around the hut for a second before glancing back forwards when the light pulsed out, only leaving its pure spirit energy on the hut.

_And I don't even get paid for this. _She pondered to herself while placing her glowing hand once more on another hut, the repetitive progress giving her dozing affects. _The scenery and plotline are full advance payment though. _She dryly thought after finishing with some huts. Most hut's still had a tiny amount of her spiritual power lodged inside surrounding the homes vaguely. Kikyo sighed lightly, fisting her free hand and opening it, repeating the action slowly whilst swiftly walking back to her hut. She raised her head upwards, huffing out a small pout when a drop of water from above smacked her slightly heated skin on the left cheek, running down nimbly. _If a small drop of cold rain is cooling down my skin…..then I must have used my energy more than I thought without rest….I wonder if never breaking the barrier around us has something to do with that….._She blinked out the clear drops that began dripping slowly out of her dark bangs which now began to cling slightly to her forehead. Lightly jogging to her hut, her wooden geta's platted almost silently against the once-hard-sandy-now-muddy ground, red nagabakama darkening around the leg edges due to plastering clinging mixture.

The rain dropped down on light but multitudinous amount, a gloaming sky almost covered in blue clouds of various shades. Even if she was as entranced in this formation as she usually was, she couldn't have missed those aura's from length's away. As she calmly arrived, she regarded the group of men demon slayer's with hidden curiosity for their ninja-like outfits and those miniscule glances they did only with their eyes when she came into view of a few meters away, the fire light from her approaching open home highlighting her soft calm features sharply.

Holding the straw door was Kaede in a cleaner darker orange casual kimono, talking reluctantly with the man who appeared to be in charge of the group. He noticed her almost immediately, walking a few steps backwards before bowing his head and upper body at her. _Good. Away from my sister._ "Kaede, please go back inside." She nodded her head and bowed lightly towards the Taijiya before scurrying back inside. Kikyo briefly mused that Kaede should not be that quick to show fear…she should install that for their next tor—_cough—cough—_training of course.

"You must be Kikyo-sama, the priestess of this village?" He straightened up slowly, keeping the respectful distance between two different kinds of warriors. She nodded with a small smile, hoping to ease his tensions for at least a moment. _He has no will ill. Nor any ill intentions towards my person nor my village._ _I can never be too sure…..I've already changed many things, I cannot be confident just what other circumstances have changed already sigh. Strange how none of the main events have shifted however...fucking written fate. _"Yes. I am. I have heard that you have come looking specifically for me. Is there anything I can help with?" She eye smiled at him, internally brightening when she noticed the tense atmosphere around the man and his group loosening a tad. The man nodded tensely and reached into one of his many convenient pockets, _Inspector Gadget, _Kikyo mentally stated with humor, all the while now calmly holding the pink 'harmless' looking jewel in her hands as he took steps back and repeated the gesture, bowing his upper body in respect. "We, of the Tajiya village, entrust this important task of protecting and purifying the Shikon no Tama, to Priestess Kikyo." He then straightened, analyzing her just as she has already done to him and his people since she first laid eyes on them. After a second, he nodded more confidently; _I can proudly say he liked what he saw; _ and bowed his head this time, Kikyo nodding with a slight bow of her head. He swiftly turned around and steadily made way with his rising group to where they arrived from, _Like ninja's I swear_. _Don't think I didn't notice those curious glances from those Tajiya's behind you. _She mentally snorted. _My reputation gives me __way__ too much credit. _

"Onee-sama?" Kaede's questioning voice brought Kikyo back to earth, the taller woman tilting her head to where she could feel Kaede's aura now walking beside her. "They were asking about you…..something about a Shikon?" Kikyo chuckled and lightly patted a pouting Kaede's head. "Shikon no Tama, Kaede. I have been given the duty of purifying it." _Sounds about the same, yeah. I wonder what will she say if I tell her when she said Shikon only, it reminded me of Takoyaki? _ She glanced downwards at the brown wide-eyed stare full of wonder at the Shikon no Tama gleaming its small aura in my open palms.

Kikyo's eyes sharpened. _Ah, sneaky child. She tried to hide her exhaustion. I don't think so!_ "Come, Kaede. The trip was long and tiring, we must rest." She hid her amused smile behind one of her sleeves, the other hand holding the slow pulsing jewel when Kaede 's drooping eye's snapped open and her face flushed, a large pout on her features before she stuck her tongue out at the already amused blinking Kikyo and instantly jogged back inside their wooden steady home.

* * *

"Here you go honey, all nice and cozy." Kikyo lightly tapped the pale pink marble sized jewel softly, like one would a pet, and gently laid it over a strange jewel holder that held it like one of those modern necklace cases. Except this one was strangely perfect for the Shikon no Tama, all dark bronze metal and such. Making use of her memories from her time training with the Elder's, She made a necklace of purified shards and attached them to a strong dark string. Afterwards pulled the Shikon no Tama in, and _Whoala! One Shikon A La Mode! _She blinked her azure eye's when the glittering pale pink aura around the jewel begin to pulse, as if responding to her mental conversations….She bit her bottom lip in contemplation.

After a few moments, "You and I are going to have a _very, __very _awkward relationship. I just _know_ it." She chuckled dryly, raising an eyebrow when it pulsed again. _Oh yes...very awkward._ "Kikyo-onee-sama?" _Ah, Kaede. _"Yes?" She had to say it out land since she was in the shrine even though the wooden doors were open widely, the sun's pale rays shining down on the quiet shadowed alter. "Kasabuke-san has injured himself again." Kikyo shook her head in exasperation. "Did I not specifically order for him to rest for a week until the inflammation from his wound has healed?" She gracefully stood from her kneed form, walking back to the shrine and glancing at an equally exasperated looking Kaede a few feet away. Kikyo placed both pale palms over the now closed door, forming a transparent white shield over the large compound with her spiritual powers. She sighed while patting the door's once before walking with the easy flow of a reprimanding teacher on to her disobeying prey.

Kaede followed immediately with one last curious glance at the Shrine from where she felt the powerful energy shimmering in its aura. "We are going to have one _awkward _relationship, I can just _tell."_ Kikyo sighed to herself, ignoring how Kaede's attention grew on the not stated subject. "Who, Onee-sama?" She tilted her head towards her steadily walking sister, wondering just who in the world she was talking about.

"That Shikon no Tama." She blinked down at a stunned Kaede. Her younger sister shook her head and placed both hands over her face, continuing to shake her head slowly. And she would have praised the younger girl for following correctly without even seeing where she was going but was too busy stifling her own laughter when she heard Kaede's grumbles of 'I will never understand how her mind works' or 'A big ball of mystery clocked in other mystery's that even their _own _holes have mystery's.' Kikyo gave her younger sister a playfully encouraging pat on the back, whispering "_Gambatte." _And chuckling when she received a squinted glare filled with incredulous and trying-to-hide-for-appearances-sake-humor. _Ah, there he is! That stubborn old mule! "_Kasabuke-san, I believe you were brought here to _rest._"


	9. Even Rain

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Even Rain**

_I would like a refund. _A white arrow sharply shot through a large screeching youkai, it's long sharp claws desperately clawing at anything before his dark purple furred body halted in its action's, no seconds later did it's body disperse into the accustomed white glistering pure dust. Kikyo stood in the center of a green rift with multiple sparkling dust flowing by. She sighed non-audibly, slowly expanding her aura and checking the clearing for any other youkai coming her way. Finding none life threatening, her hand slowly released itself from its tight grip on her Saigu-Yumi bow handle then expertly twirled the unused arrow on her other hand, its feather's facing upwards as she slid the arrow within its hold of others. Both hand's clapped twice, their palms together in praying position afterwards.

Placing a white almost transparent shield over herself as every other last similar condition's, she calmly closed her eyes. _I hope all of you have found a warmer and better place to rest upon. Your action's shall be judged accordingly to the hands of authority. _Her eyes snapped open, blue eyes narrowing while blocking another rapidly attacking youkai screeching or yowling the exact same infuriated sentences with her white shield surrounding her pulsing once and screeching faded into echoes across the greenery when one of her hands shot out, sending an electric ball of pulsing warm purifying energy directly onto the large brown hard abdomen.

The seven foot lizard like youkai on leg's tumbled down, its form dissipating to slowly following glimmer before the rough body even hit the ground. _As I was saying, a refund will be nice right about now. I deserve it for all the freaking trouble its worth. _Kikyo pulsed her aura around the area in warning, feeling more than a tad annoyed at the freaking persistent demons that just wouldn't take a warning with dignity. _And Sasuke thought __**his**__ fan girls were persistent, then he hasn't seen nothing. _She snorted in amusement. _Those fan girls got nothing on the youkai ever since I took guardianship of the Shikon. _She warily made her way back to the village, glaring back every so often at the incoherent loud mumbling of weaker sneaky demons hiding in the bushes following after, just _waiting _for any chance. It had already been at least less than a month since the Jewel has been in her hands and she doesn't know if the constant exercise is good for her body or bad for her spirit energy. _Two sides of the same coin._ She dryly reflected.

She agreed with Kaede that now that she had such a responsibility, it would be dangerous for her younger sister to continue traveling with her, no matter how much Kaede has improved her skills. Even Kaede knew that it would be too risky after being ganged up once where even Kikyo was having a hard time, especially since she also had to protect Kaede, so the older miko decided to just stay in the village as its babysitter. Ah, she meant _guardian. _Right, _Guardian._ Kikyo has been taking care of the Jewel, at times even talking to it and skillfully ignoring those darkening whispers it tried to force into her mind. She, of course, being the wonderful kind person she is, put a small barrier around the marble sized menace for being a constant annoyance and just a plain downer. There _had _to be limits. But it looked like the Jewel passed the law of nature rule she remembered vaguely on her last life. Despite the task of the Jewel, that did not mean she forgot her other duty's. She would still do her rounds every so other week, sensing which home's needed the pure barrier. Then on morning's the usual checking on the healing injuries from the persistent enough youkai that managed to wound some villagers.

* * *

She remembered how Kaede innocently asked her a question that made her cringe with another abrupt remembrance memory.

_"__Kikyo-onee-sama?" I tilted my head in her direction, eyes staying focused on the healing herbs in my nimble pale hands. "Onee-sama….don't you ever wish you could be like the other girls?" _

_**That**__ however indeed caught my attention. Professionally hiding a wince after the main memory just suddenly hazed through like a fog through my mind in short scenes, causing me to sigh non-audibly in exasperation. I really hope am not fated to remember bits and pieces only after random situations. Gently caressing the green and dark brown herbs in my hands, I gathered a few seconds to calm my thumping heart before answering. "No, I do not wish to appear like the other girls Kaede. I am satisfied with how I am." I eye smiled at her wide eyes blinking look. _

_"B-but….don't you…want to sometimes try the pretty clothes or nice perfumes?" I tilted my head in consideration. Honestly speaking? I was never really materialistic in my last life, no matter how many new shiny things kept coming out. I blinked in amusement. That's why I was always behind in my small group of acquaintances….I never really bothered to check on what was new, sticking more to my anime's and college classes—wait wait…ahh. Of course! Obviously I have already been in my youth freely, Kikyo didn't exactly have a choice so she couldn't experience her youthfulness more freely….also the fact that in my past life, I was rather fascinated by nature….huh. I shook my head slightly. "Not at all. They do not interest me as much as the beauty of nature would." _

_I chuckled at her dumbfounded look. "Kikyo-onee-sama, your strange….but I love you like this!" She laughed brightly, hugging me around the waist all of a sudden. I blinked at the abrupt change in attitude but took it in stride, patting her on the head with a hand. "And I love you as well." I eye smiled at her. "Now go bring more of these same herbs. A full basket." I patted the empty basket next to me innocently, absolutely internally beaming when she turned a horrified expression at me, rapidly grabbing the basket and stumbling out of our home while comically yelling out, "Never mind! Onee-sama's just a sadist!" I laughed out loud at her exclamation, blinking in amusement when the basket accidently slipped down and she hurriedly grasped it, giving me a pouting playful glare before rapidly slipping past the waving straw door. I snorted behind my white sleeve._

* * *

Firing a white gas-like arrow swiftly through another rabid jumping youkai, Kikyo brought herself back from her internal musings. Giving herself a mental pat on the back for at least not running out of spiritual power yet, she froze on her spot and swiftly turned around, staring at the deep stained aura manifestation slightly above the tall tree's view from inside the forest. She sensed it's sinister aura seemingly searching for something—calmly composing her features and tensing her body in preparation when its faded aura appeared to focus intently on _her_. Her eyes glanced behind her at the village before making her decision in a snap. She would _not_ allow it to follow her back to civilization.

Her fist tightened around her red Saigu-Yumi bow's handle and she expeditiously paced directly towards the glowering wispy shades in the forest, glancing upwards at the beautiful dawning sky. The deep hues of dusky orange tinted clouds and fading yellows of the lowering sun allowed her to relax for a moment, easing her tense body into a calm null. _It always has such a tranquil effect on me. _She heightened her sense with her spiritual power, observing how the misty murkiness aura just…._waited_ for her….._That is a bit creepy._ _Thinking rationally, it must be a trap…_

She resisted the urge to crinkle her nose in displeasure when she had to tone down her senses back to normal due to the tremendous amount of impure power just _oozing_ out from the swirling mass of vile hollow space now directly above her. _I don't know what that is. I don't Want to know what that is. Hell, it can be a youkai orgy for all I know. _Kikyo cautiously took slow steps back, blue narrowed eyes never straying from the shifting swirl of murky mass in front while slowly raising her hand towards her arrow. Simultaneously she swiftly shot forth the glowing white whisky purified arrow and from the black hole roaring youkai of all contrasting types spewed out a constant speed.

Immediately afterwards, her calloused pale slim fingers grasped another arrow, shooting non-stop while never closing her barrier around her shifting form. _Wait. _She turned around and blasted other close youkai from behind her, _what would happen if none of this is real…._She blinked incredulously at herself, _I can't believe am having an identity crisis at this moment. _Faltering in her step from a sneaky small feathered long beak demon, she groaned out loud at the rapid slashes across her back, rapidly bringing her full concentration back to the fight, _Augh! Never mind! Pains too…too—real to be fake…_Her eyes narrowed in annoyance and discomfort from the now healing wound. _This—_A youkai burst into shimmers from beside at her sharp block—_is—_She rapidly shifted around in center, smashing shrieking youkai with her spiritual powered bow—_war!—_Azure eyes narrowed in deep concentration, forcing her large slowly decreasing spiritual power to keep up her barrier, heal the deep wounds instantly, and spiritually power both her bows and arrows at the same time.

* * *

_Are you guys freaking __flies__?!_ There was no god damn end to the rampage of loudly roaring youkai that just wouldn't decrease no matter how many arrows she sent their way or purified bow hits. _Did they plan this? Is that it? _It was possible since it was the first time she ever actually felt _tired _(Not counting her training years)_. _Adding the fact that she has used her spiritual power the whole day, while using it in different forms concomitantly, she could distantly notice that _yes. I may or may not have pushed myself a __tiny__ bit too far this time._ She thought dryly while panting a bit, running her fingers through air when she reached for arrows.

_Shit, they're like cockroaches. _Blocking multiple attacks, and sending them through the air with a pure electric power attack from her long bow. _I remember how…spiritual exhaustion is like…-from my training. _Her narrowed eyes blinked past salty cold sweat slowly forming over her face. _I think I have to end this now, it's already half way past dawn….and I __know__ I….may have more power than Kikyo…did last time….but maybe this time…wait—I feel like there's more youkai…this time, than when it was actually Kikyo, augh…Hell no!—_She abruptly straightened, directing the last amount of spiritual white power inside of her towards the outside, physically transforming it into a giant round of purifying mass. _Of course….I…always hurt…myself ..i—n the process. _Kikyo ignored the already fading haziness in her ears from the blasting resonating explosion sound when both opposite forces met.

* * *

She slowly brought her freezing trembling hand down from her tightly closed eyes, blinking dazedly at the unanticipated wave of numbness that washed over her senses. Slowly leaning down on one knee, a hand on the ground kept her body from swaying sideways while she leveraged herself with her bow with her other hand. Gazing at the _still_ falling pieces of youkai skin and boned heavy parts falling with noisy splats all around her, she tried to catch her breath as she panted in heavy exhaustion that weighed down on her body. _So maybe…I shouldn't have used __all__ of my energy….sue me. _She almost became entranced in the glittering that was youkai, raising in slow motion from their meaty body's if it wasn't for another strange youkai aura that abruptly appeared from behind her some length away. _Another? I don't think I can handle more than one more group at least….and am not known for being pessimistic sigh. That's how serious the situation right now is._

At least she could now coherently think without pausing for breaths. She slowly stood up, cautious of her low spiritual power at the moment and of the strange hidden presence that didn't move from its position. "Who is there?" She stated out loud (Finally caught her breath), turning her upper body to the side while her face stared straight at where she felt the concealed aura behind her, on a long thick tree.

When a foreign pulsing obscured the aura a moment later, she tensed her body for battle but furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when right afterwards, the youkai aura disappeared and a contrasting human aura filled the _same_ place the youkai aura was—_Oh….this is….what do I do now…? Never mind, wing it! Like nothing happened! _Her eyes narrowed slightly at the shadowed human figure behind the thick trunk. _There is also…..just because I know the anime doesn't mean they are the charact—__**cough**__—people I know…..this __is__ after all before anything happened….alright, precede with caution—_Rain? It seriously had to begin to rain _right now? I can't tell if it's a blessing in disguise or a curse in sheep's clothing._ _I mean, alright its already dark but seriously, Rain? _She didn't lower her tense position but allowed the cool clear liquid to smooth her inner disturbance, "If you are after the Shikon no Tama, then do not bother with the effort." She warned vocally, since _he_ would at least understand the warning.

"Shikon no Tama?...What's that, the Shikon no Tama?" A husky voice questioned from the shadowed figure up on the tall trunk and she had to repeatedly tell herself that this wasn't the _exact_ same person yet. _Dear lord, it's the same voice….._"Nothing. It is better if left unspoken." She turned back around as calmly as she could, feeling the strain her increasing numbing senses were pulling at her. "If you do not want to be killed, do not appear before me again." She stated calmly, forcing her inner muscles to work with her slow steady steps. _Don't you __dare__ leave me right now, strength!—oh those are pretty spots…..right. Spots in vision equals bad. _Her numbing increased towards her upper body, making her groan lowly while trying to will her damn immobile numb muscles to work. She vaguely felt a distant motion of her knee's hitting the ground before her upper body numbly followed. _This…is __not__ how I planned to spend my weekend. Ah…..the cooler drops of rain and ground are making my body succumb to its exhaustion. _

A tough spot she was in. Especially since she was spiritually deprived, she could hardly sense anything around her, only hear the platter of r—foot steps? She vaguely felt the body of someone close to her—ahh _him._ "Just what kind of miko _is_ she…" His husky voice lowly questioned, the rain's platter almost smothering the words. _I wonder if those were the same words…I can remember the main events though sometimes the details get crazy sigh. Eh?_ _A ruffling of clothes and the presence near me disappeared….Oh right…..they're looking for me now…_

* * *

Not a minute later,"Kikyo-onee-sama!" She heard the familiar voice of her younger sister closing in before the smaller presence carefully shifted her upper body forwards into a sitting position, Kikyo trying not to lean on a worried Kaede's smaller figure. "Onee-sama, are you alright?!" She smiled warmly at a wide-eyed worried Kaede who now wore the straw rain hat with the straw cover over her shoulders, then nodded her head once, trying not to use her _very_ slowly increasing spiritual power. "I am fine now, Kaede." She eye smiled. Her younger sister nodded hesitantly with relief sagged shoulders.

Blue eyes stared down the path that held a barely-there aura that was already disappearing from low senses and down pouring rain. _So he felt the same thing even though the events were slightly different? _Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. _You see. __This__ is why I avoid thinking of future happenings and characters personalities. Nothing can go right and yet everything will go on the same path. Wonder where the butterfly affect is now?_ She internally rolled across the floor in frustration. "Onee-sama?" _Rgiht. Plots to go destroy, anime reality awaits. _"Kaede, please help me up?" She smiled at her nodding vehemently younger sister that began to and with great care help her numb body up. "Kikyo-sama!" One of the villagers shouted out in surprise and relief, others echoeing their relief as Kaede walked slowly towards the group of farmers with fire scorches on their hands for light. "I am alright. Thank you for coming to look for me." Kikyo eye smiled in gratefulness and made a movement to bow her head but halted in her position and blinked when instantly all of them yelled stuttering on how she shouldn't move or push herself too far. She chuckled, nodding in gratefulness and letting her younger sister carefully lead her towards their village.


	10. You

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**.**

**.**

**You**

She blinked azure eyes down at the rather impressive pout on her younger sister's childish features. Then blinked again as what Kaede said finally settled in. She raised an eyebrow in challenge, highly amused when Kaede tried to hide (visibly failing) her shiver. "Kaede, I am alright now. There is no need to worry." She laughed when her sister groaned out loud in frustration and ran her hands through her hair, messing it up further. "Now, now, remember, patience is a virtue." Her pale fingers reached for Kaede's messy hair, gently un-tugging it from its nest hair. "But Onee-sama, not all of your power is back yet!" Kaede retorted, letting Kikyo's professional fingers work through the knots. Kikyo chuckled to herself. "Yes, but that does not mean I cannot defend myself at this moment. If I were to put it in words…..I'd say that right about now my powers are more than half way filled but lower than when full." She explained patiently to the fidgeting younger child.

"Could you have not just said that since the beginning?" Kaede grumbled. Kikyo stifled her laughter with one of her long sleeves. "You purposely wait for my reaction and _then_ explain!" She exclaimed scandalized, throwing her hands in the air though never moving her head from Kikyo's hand. "Ah, you have noticed then. I must begin to switch my antics now." The older woman whispered loudly, laughing when her Kaede just groaned.

"Do not forget, herbs, practice finding your spiritual core, and then herbs again for today." Kikyo sternly listed with her fingers, in the end holding up three fingers. Kaede nodded determined, already planning on how to study the herbs she couldn't finish the last time. "I have already finished my rounds this morning," She glanced at a blushing Kaede, _before I was interrupted. _"And will finish to the outer layers." Kikyo smiled softly at her younger sister's worried expression again at the mention of the forest. _"_Kaede, it is fine. Do not worry." She added a small confident eye smile in there just for her younger sister's sake. _After all, in the anime he may have not heeded the warning but I can never be too sure. Hell, I bet this time it was actually embedded since Kikyo is a bit more powerful, I doubt he wouldn't listen to his instincts._

* * *

The cicada's were singing loudly in the forest, transparent rays of light beaming down on the day as it allowed the surrounding's far-reaching long tree's to form shadows under their own green leaves and rough wooden trunks. Inside the forest, the dark long haired miko calmly walked down no paths and had to remind herself not to flow out her aura in search for any nearby youkai, knowing it would take a lower part of her spiritual energy.

"Eii! Kikyo!" She slowly closed her eyes at the familiar voice and had to forcefully compose herself before she let her twitching hands palm her face. Calming her expression, she turned her head around from where the direction of the voice came from. And lo and behold, it was _him_. _Right_ in front of her. In animated form too which was just rather strange but not unwelcome. She blinked her blue eyes and narrowed them at him, observing his tense completely red fire-fox garbed form and assertive cautious golden eyed expression as he spoke, "I hear the Shikon no Tama is a sphere of good fortune that increases the powers of demons." Kikyo calmly sighed and tilted her head. "Your voice sounds familiar…..you were the one on that night, were you not?" She questioned softly, knowing his heightened twitching ears would easily pick up the sound.

He growled lowly, his feral eyes narrowing dangerously. "So what…?!" He growled out. She blinked in confusion. _I don't even know what __wont__ offend him at this moment. He's like a ticking time bomb that can be set off at any time. _She internally sighed. And before she could even blink he exploded, "Shaddup! Give me the Shikon no tama!" launching straight at her with sharp long claws aimed to—she didn't give him the chance. Easily shooting out two clean arrow's right at him, he could only utter out a startled disbelief "_Wha?!"_ at the impressive speed, before finding himself stuck on a large tree trunk with two arrows holding him up by his main elbow sleeve's, imbedded deep into the trunk behind him causing him to struggle relentlessly.

"I understand now. From what I sensed that night, you are a hanyou." She stated with a calm composed face, mentally amused at the dangerous growling that followed from her words. "With the Shikon no Tama, you can become a complete demon? That is correct. I have no rights to question you nor will I. However, answer me this. Would you be satisfied deep down from only its fraud truth?" She questioned lowly, finding it strange that he stopped growling and was just glaring menacingly at her with a glint of caution. "Shaddup." He growled out lowly, fangs piercing out from his vibrating low growl. "I dont care. I'll become the strongest demon around no matter what! That's what I've decided!" He exclaimed furiously while trying to get out from the arrows hold at the same time. She stared at his form cautiously yet successfully hiding her growing awing at his twitching canine ears. When he slowly stopped moving, she directed her eyes back to his face calmly, watching the way his narrowed honey hued eyes glowered threatening straight at her own blue azure calm ones, or the way his nose was crinkling from his snarling lips, sharp fangs, and shaking-in-overflowing-rage-body now focused on her entirely. _I don't know if I should feel honored or not. _"And when I do, I'll kill you!" He snarled out lowly.

She stared at him for a few seconds, then softly smiled. The growling abruptly stopped. He glared at her warily, body completely tense from her features change. "As long as I am the one protecting the Shikon no Tama, I will not allow that to happen." She turned around and resumed walking, "Don't make me laugh, teme! You _reek_ with the stench of youkai blood!" Her body involuntarily halted and froze. She was thankful that her back was turned towards him, otherwise, her irritated pout would have been visible to him. _It's not like I expect to smell like fucking __flowers__, thank you very much. _ "What? Did I touch a nerve with that, Kikyo?" _Augh, I feel like am in kindergarten again. Except, you know, a very dangerous kindergarten with youkai. _

His aggravating smug tone felt like it was challenging her. She spun her head around and gave his confident smug snarling face a light glare, "I will be giving the Shikon no Tama to no one, do not bother me again. There will be no extra chances next time so _stay away_." She stated firmly, turning back around and resolutely continuing to walk; even if her steps currently appeared to be more of a stubborn stomp this time.

"Keh! I'm not giving up!" His voice yelled from behind her vehemently. _Sigh. I doubt you would anyway._ "Even if you run away, I'll find you without fail! With _that_ smell, I'll find you quickly!" He threatened the promise. _So even through those baths, the smell never came off? Dammit! _She huffed to herself lightly. _Thank you for your unwanted advice. It's not like I have a canine's heightened sense of smell.. _She raised a hand consciously to her face, blinking in half astonishment. _Is that a pout on my face? He made me pout! _She furrowed her eyebrows. _The situation is affecting me more than I thought. Compose, compose! _She sighed lowly, feeling her usual calm expression now.

* * *

Hell, it was hardly three days later when on one of the youkai clearing outings with her younger sister near a larger river close to their village that he appeared again.

The day was of its normal summer temperature with the still singing cicadas in the background, and Kaede and she made a small trip to a close by river that the villagers from another village began coming to them about a youkai in the water. As Kikyo stared calmly at the shady blue waters, Kaede was a few meters away with arms full of useful medical herbs found near the forest.

The older dark haired miko easily raised her bow and placed an arrow in position just as the calm waters began waving around in multiple lengths. Not even a minute later, a tremendous cat-fish youkai jumped out of the disturbed clashing waves. A white glowing mist like arrow sharply pierced the roaring youkai in between its large red eyes, its bellow echoing throughout the river. White shimmer floated upwards from the dissipated youkai, its form disappearing completely in pure particles. Kikyo ignored the large clashing waves that soaked the bottom of her hakama and wooden sandals, "It is done, Kaede." She turned around, strolling towards her nodding sister who shifted her hold on the herbs, grabbing them in a steadier position._ This is one of those scenes I remember before it even happened. How lucky nee?_ Kikyo dryly thought. "Let us go home, we are done here." She smiled down at her beaming sister who nodded once more, glad to finally study the herbs at home.

Kikyo stiffened in alert and Kaede followed suit, tightening her hold on the herbs. The atmosphere changed to a tense one and she reprimanded herself for allowing herself to forget to check for auras near them these days.

"You." Her voice stated sternly, eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of the red garbed silver haired hanyou that appeared out of nowhere. He lifted his fist then opened his clawed hand, "Keh", cracking the muscles in the appendage while glaring with a threatening half dark grin at the dark haired miko. "Kikyo, give me the Shikon no Tama." He demanded savagely. Her eyes narrowed. _No. Say please and __maybe__ I'll think about it. _She noted on the back of her mind how Kaede glanced between both of them with confusion and worry in her eyes, moving behind herself in uncertain steps.

"You've appeared again I see." Kikyo stared openly at the growling long silver haired male a few meters directly in front of her. "I told you that I wouldn't give up! And we're gonna settle this today!" One of his hands naturally rest at his hip, making Kikyo blink at the casual pose even though his figure was tense for battle. "Hurry and tell that kid to run away!" He ordered with the hand that was on his hip now pointing forwards. She blinked again, thanking the lords that she was by now an expert in hiding her emotions behind her spiritual barrier. _I don't think you're doing a very good job at changing my opinion of you. I doubt it could get low what with all this thoughtfulness your unconsciously spreading around. _"Kaede, get back." She glanced and nodded at the tense and worried younger girl. Kaede hesitantly nodded after seeing her older sister's reassured look and lightly jogged back behind one of the large tree's, peeking from behind it at the confrontation.

Once the silver haired male crouched with his sharp claws extended directly before his chest, body tense and cautious narrowed eyed features, she calmly took out an arrow and raised her bow, also getting into position for what she knew was unavoidable. "There is….—" She paused in mid-sentence, staring directly into those determined eyes. "What?!" He growled out roughly. She sighed and took a deep breath, calmly exhaling. "Why did you not kill me that night? It would have been easy considering my condition." Her voice dropped to a low murmur, closely watching in concealed amusement how one of his white ears shifted upwards and towards the direction of the soft pitch.

"I don't pull dirty tricks like that." He stated, position never changing. Her expression softened for a second until she quickly composed herself before he took notice. By the look of his narrowing eyebrows and a spark of suspicion in his eyes however, he noticed the change in expression on the miko in front of him. _Ahh damn damn! I let myself slip a tiny bit and he freaking caught it! Damn youkai and their __fast-moving camera eyes! _"What is your name, Hanyou?" He quickly snarled back again and tensed even more at the name. "That way I will not have to resort to calling you a hanyou." She explained exasperated, almost going by instinct and stomping her foot but this time catching herself in time. _Is this what they mean by the saying 'walking on eggshells?' _ He blinked furrowed eyebrows slightly, distrust and slow increasing confusion in his narrowed eyes. _I should be careful as well. I may be able to hide my emotions with my barrier but those keen ears catch what our voices try to hide. And unfortunately, I may be able to compose myself but he would catch the expertly hidden tone automatically._

He lowered his head slightly, body still tense but now looking as if appraising her carefully. "It's Inuyasha_._" He answered lowly, gaze intently on the sighing miko. "Inuyasha…" She whispered out loud instinctively. _Finally! I can say his name! It would just feel weird if I said it before getting permission from the actual person, especially with how he is…or was…? Or is now? Augh confused myself. Ah wait- why is he blinking in visible bewilderment? Wa—Shit! I said his name! Fuck, fuck, fuck! He must have heard the tone, ah, not good not good, abort mission, abort mission! Look at that! I can literally even __see__ the question 'Why do you sound like you know me when I've never met you before?' in his assessing narrowed features. _"I shall remember your name from here on out." _Good, use that. Change what he's thinking about in the moment!_ His eyes immediately narrowed afterwards, cracking the bones in his clawed hands, _Yes! _I mentally air fisted. _Succeeded in diverting attention from dangerous waters!_

"Prepare to die, Kikyo!" He bellowed fiercely while charging in a instantenous speed. Her arrow flew just as four more easily followed, pinning a stunted grunting Inuyasha on the tree behind him. One arrow under his arm over his red cloth, two chaining his other arm between both arrows, the other on his leg hakama and the last under his other leg, all of them barely piercing skin. _Its eerie how it looks like the __exact__ same scene from my memories….. _Another arrow was already in position on her bow, pointing towards the flinching Inuyasha. She stared for a few seconds at him. _His talent at making me feel like a villain is astounding…_ Sighing softly and lowering her bow she placed her arrow back with the others. _I can't believe it would literally hurt this much to even pretend to shoot him. Sure I was an anime fan girl but not so hardcore. Nonetheless…_

She glanced back at him then turned back, smoothly walking away. _But his face is so…! And those expressions? Easily makes me feel guilty hmpt. _"Wait up, teme!" He yelled from behind her, causing her to stop in mid-step. "Why do you always leave without killing me?!" _It's a bit too early to actually tell him the __truth__ truth... _"Are you listening, Kikyo?!" She sighed softly, pivoting only her head around and giving him a light glare, ignoring his flinch. "You're wasting my arrows, Inuyasha. Stop squirming around." She huffed, then turned back around, leaving a blinking-multiple-times-hanyou who opened and closed his mouth several times in indignation, trying to come up with a retort, only to growl furiously when realizing the strange powerful miko was gone along with the tinier human.

"Kikyo-onee-sama?" Kikyo raised her head towards the warmth of the rays, humming in response to Kaede's inqure. "Ah…never mind." She blinked sheepishly brown owl eyes downwards, mumbling how she 'trust's her Onee-sama with whatever decisions she makes'. Kikyo laughed and patted her younger sister on the head, appreciating how the younger child would just trust her on her own choices and not question them despite her curiosity. Like right now. She hummed lightly, bathing in the cool shadows of the topiary they pass by. Some things are just not meant for some people to know._ Should I still go and cleanse myself __every day__ nevertheless…? Not that I pfft—not that I __care__ about what he said or anything like that but those scenes would be like character development…_She absentmindedly hummed softly, deep in her thoughts. _And it was, what? Every day? Yeah, every day Kikyo went to cleanse herself on one of those close smaller waterfall rivers. _

Alright. Just think of it as a mission! She brightened at the aspect of something modernly fun._Let's do this. Du, du, du du, du, du, du du, dammit forgot the name of that famous movie with the secret agent and catchy mission theme song! _She restrained her laughter behind a long white sleeve at the mental image of her suspiciously sliding cross walls while turning her head this way and that way, singing the mission song while one hand pointed in gun fashion, the other holding her gun's wrist professionally. They would either think she was possessed or at least mentally unstable. This world could use therapists. Huh. Not as much as naruto's but…she tilted her head in consideration. Then blinked down when she noticed her sister staring at her in open curiousity. _Ah, I dazed off again._

* * *

Kikyo sighed softly as her tense body surrendered to the cold river liquid washed down upon it by the long brown bucket she held in her hands at the moment. _Now that I think about it….._She took another dose of water, leaning the heavy bucket down over her soaked white kimonoed body, clear water washing forth her now loose muscles again.

_Aren't I going to have to get real sentimental soon? With Inuyasha…I will most definitely tell him the truth since this whole thing mainly involves him as well…..sigh how to go about it…..ahhh! I don't want to retract everything I've been trying to get away from….but if am not truthful with him….._She sighed out loud, gazing at her moving reflection in the river and bringing a hand down, cupping a small amount of water in her hands and raising it to her face, staring into the familiar azure blue she was used to by now. Cringing slightly when she could clearly see her own turmoil in her eyes, she let the water flow by the gaps of her fingers, distantly wondering when she began humming to herself.

_Clearly my body has a mind of its own these days. _She pouted, then dragged her long locks over her shoulder, squeezing out the water soaked inside it. This wasn't the first time she cleansed herself, she did so at first without ever meeting Inuyasha but it wasn't exactly '_Every day'_. So she was satisfied that no, she did not have cleanse herself every freaking day so she did so every two to three days from then on. She even kept her aura tucked in on her side only, for the sake of privacy and imagining that she was _alone_. Not that she minded much since he was _way_ more innocent than any future modern day male.

She chuckled to herself with a shake of her dark damp head. A sharp light reflection from the river caused her to automatically shut her eyes, blinking multiple times afterwards, her ears listening leisurely at the resonance of the waterfall beside her covering every other background sound's. Concentrated blue orb's took in the nature surrounding her with a warm appreciation, as she always would when in this area to cleanse herself. The water was translucent and of a light sky blue messy reflection, grey ground rocks forming around the tall water casket with shrubs here and there in abundance and umber timber producing coverage towards the stones near the river. She felt so tiny near those large beautiful plantation and natural nature formation. But felt strangely peaceful, as if the nature accepted her there.

* * *

Talking about nature.

Kikyo blinked calm eyes at the blue transparent aura surrounding the bones of Mistress Centipede inside the corner of the hut. She peeked at a blushing Kaede, raising an amused eyebrow with the question visibly floating above her, '_What in the world happened here? Please do enlighten me.'_ The villagers that helped bring the bones had explained on what Kaede herself told them so Kikyo went to the main source. "I was almost finished with the herbs when youkai Mistress Centipede appeared out of nowhere!" Kikyo softened her features and nodded for her sister to continue, "I-erm…." The older miko raised an eyebrow, "I- er—thought I wouldn't exactly _need_ my bow and arrows since it wasn't that far from the village so I didn't take them Since I can't control my barrier yet I ran away but almost got caught then that red youkai-san that you talked with saved me!" She rapidly ended the sentence with no pauses, desperately hoping her older sister didn't notice her mistake on leaving her weapon at home.

From the highly amused and dangerous gleam on Kikyo's azure eyes, Kaede didn't succeed. Her soft smile and sharp eyes were a terrifying combination—because that usually meant for _her_—"Kaede, It seems doubling your training wasn't enough. Do not worry young grasshopper, We shall triple it!" She eye smile innocently, clasping her hands together while beaming down at a horrified wide eyed Kaede who now had comical rapidly falling tears on the edges of her eyes. She playfully patted a frozen Kaede on the head before walking outside their home, smiling reassuringly at the three conversing middle-aged men who when noticed her, exclaimed a relieved "Kikyo-sama!"

"Let us bring the corpse of Mistress Centipede to the well, for if not, the youkai will keep reforming itself due to the Shikon. The power of the Shikon no Tama cannot reach inside the well." She explained patiently to the fidgeting nodding older men. "We will bring the wagon to move the bones, Kikyo-sama." She nodded at the villagers who hurriedly went to bring the brown wooden wheeled wagon. _Now to thank Inuyasha for saving my sister…_She felt her stiffened figure loosen at the thought of her still alive sister. _So he saved her huh…I sometimes wondered how Kikyo must have felt in some situations but now actually experiencing it, siigh. She could have died…my younger sister would have disappeared just like that…_She smothered down the increasing ache in her chest and instead focused on the more positive emotions. _Like how grateful I am that he saved her regardless...augh this is why I don't think about the upcoming situations, it drives me nuts! _She noted how a smaller head stood next to her now, grumbling under her breath the whole while.

"Kaede, you should not forget your weapon whenever outside the village, have I not repeated myself enough on our lessons?" Kikyo reprimanded sternly. The younger child next to her nodded with her head down, almost embarrassed for thinking naively this time. "There is no need to worry however!" Her older sister's enthusiastic tone made her flinch and step back in comical deer-in-the-headlights eyes staring up at an _beaming_ eye smiling Kikyo. "The triple regiment will be utmost beneficial!" Kaede choked on air at the official announcement, Kikyo turning her head back towards the approaching wheeling wagon when the men arrived and stared curiously between a shaking-her-head-with-her-palms-over-her-face Kaede and a seemingly innocent blinking miko. They decided to not question the usual strange antics of the pair of siblings.

Once the men took the wooden large crate full of the Mistress Centipedes bones_; how the hell did the skull stay with its long dark hair_? _I tell you, fabulous hair in this world takes it to a whole other level_; and placed it upon the wagon, they moved outwards to the direction of the well after Kaede grabbed her weapon; the small bow and her arrows. Making their way steadily past the forest, Kikyo indulged in her surroundings.

The current of air breezed by in cooler temperatures due to the overshadows from the enormous tree's all around them, warm light appearing in various miniature spot sizes from the gapes of swishing leaves. _Something I never tire of._ She silently reveled at the surrounding plantation, calmly making her way with the hard-working men wheeling forward the wagon with one of the men on each side and the last at the front, Kaede to the side slightly behind Kikyo. They entered a clear path and followed it towards the well, no trees obscuring from afar.

Unclasping her hands from their praying formation, she bowed her head in thankfulness at the three villagers for their help. One of them laughed bashfully, not quite used to the village's miko manners while the other two just smiled extensively and nodded, already used to her ways. "It was nothing, Kikyo-sama! It's the least we could do to help!" Once they walked back down the same pathway, when Kikyo deemed them safe as they entered the village, she patted Kaede on the head with the hand not holding her bow. "I will be back soon, Kaede." Her younger sister gave her a confused curious nod though bit back her question and hurried inside the village, arrows clanking noisily inside her brown quiver hanging on one of her shoulders. Kikyo stared at her village entrance for a few seconds, then turned around with a steady walk towards a clearing she has in mind for…._'The Talk'. Sigh. How could just one conversation be so goddamn fate changing? For god's sakes, give me a break here, am literally working on a timeline! _She snorted at herself with a shake of her head.


	11. Face to Face

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**.**

**Face to Face**

Her footsteps stopped at a clearing, the large forest tree's coverage in some distance, vivid green grass smoothing the ground and the birds chirping in the faded hearing distance. She exhaled her inner turmoil, gently closing her eyes and gracefully sitting down on her leg's. _How the hell am I going to do this? _She internally chuckled with horror induced humor. _I can't exactly go about the same way since the circumstances are more than a little different….Kikyo and I don't hold the same opinions, our personalities differ on some aspects an—Forget it, let's do it! Winging it now! _Expanding her aura around, her shoulder's subtly relaxed from its stiffness when she felt the familiar hidden aura on a large bushy timber a few meters away. "Inuyasha? Your there, aren't you? Please come down…." She softly said out loud, feeling his aura flinch at the sudden attention. She patiently waited for him to decide whether to come or not, and feeling her lips curve upwards slightly when her ears heard in the distance bushy leaves shuffling in movement.

The aura she expanded faded out back inside her. A soft 'thud' sounded from beside her, the sound of something landing on the ground. Kikyo reopened her eyes and turned her head to the side. Inuyasha sat wearily a meter away from her, his upper body leaned away in vigilance while his head was turned towards her, boyish features intently staring at her with honey hued furrowed eyes. There was distrust, alertness, and a small amount of curiosity that was quickly shielded. "This is the first time we've spoken up close, isn't it." She let out a tiny smile when his body tensed as she spoke and his ears twitched up in attention, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "So. What of it." He stated in a low tone, ears towards her direction and pair of eyes never leaving her slowly decreasing composing features.

"I heard about how you saved my younger sister, Kaede…" "Keh! Oh about _that…."_ She let her composure slide off and smiled openly at the loudly scoffing silver haired male who pivoted his head away right after her sentence. "I am very grateful for that, Inuyasha. Thank you." She genuinely eye smiled at him. His head whipped back startled at the strange contented carefree tone he wasn't accustomed to hearing directed at someone like _him_, ears rapidly raising in full attention once more.

His widened deer-in-headlights look almost made her laugh out loud. _Almost. _He stuttered out a response, "A-As if I care! Keh!" And it just wouldn't be Inuyasha without that scoff. She internally chuckled. He swirled his head to the opposite side in indignation afterwards. "I cannot be everywhere at once, so I hope you understand how relieved it made me feel when….you saved her." She bowed her head this time, fully intending on making him understand what she felt. "It's not like I did it for _you_…..the Shikon no Tama was at stake…." He grumbled out loud, though didn't respond to her statement. Kikyo straightened and chuckled behind her sleeve. His head turned back rapidly as a low growl escaped his lips but the warmth and full emotion now clearly showing in her eyes caused him to avert his own and silently glower at just how strange this priestess was and warily questioning just what she was trying to do by being so…

_Time to bring out those deep _**_deep_**_ emotions I closed since far back since the beginning….who knows…maybe he can even become my partner in crime secret buddy…heh. _"Inuyasha…" Her whisper was heard clearly as Inuyasha's furry appendages twitched. "Keh, what now?" He grunted lowly, glancing suspicious narrowed eyes at the peaceful looking miko beside him with her head raised upwards, eyes gazing absentmindedly at the blue sky. "Inuyasha, how do I look? Does the appearance change at times in your eyes?" She softly inquired, turning her head back to a blinking Inuyasha just _radiaiting_ confusion. "_Ahh? _What the_ hell_ are you talking about?" He leaned back, giving her a strange look.

She let one of her last emotions from the beginning enter through the overflowing thoughts, ending up with a small melancholy smile. She raised her head towards the cloudless blue plane, "I cannot be what I was, yet I should not be what I am now. There is no helping the sense of lost at what I was about to become, but deep regret at what I replaced." She softly spoke, eyes misting from the emotions she went through before locking them all up at the start of this world.

* * *

Inuyasha's narrowed eyes stared intently at her face, twitching ears deciphering the strange disconsolate tone in her low words..She was strange. This woman was strange in almost everything of what he could sense from her. He has never met a human so….tche, freaking _carefree_ around a youkai before… What did she think she was doing? Just what the hell was she _telling _**him**? He had no idea what her words meant, but could sharply understand from just the tone that what she was saying was of deep worth…Again, what the hell was she doing? He blinked his narrowed eyes at her. She was acting rather…_chummy_ with him, that's for sure. His eyes instantly locked onto her blinking wide-eyed look, concealing the minuscule amusement that sparked at the sight of almost non-visible pink marring the miko's cheek bones.

* * *

When she realized that she was _confiding _in him, that's when decided to _definitely_ save it for a later date. She sighed softly, thanking the heavens that it wouldn't be too long hopefully until she could just freaking _tell_ him the whole truth so they could _somehow_ avoid the most dangers. She lowered her head and turned around to see a blinking Inuyasha staring intently at her. Her eyes lowered and she smiled gently in apology. "I apologize for confiding in you like that, Inuyasha. I do not have the right. Not after shooting my arrows at you."

He blinked stunned wide eyes, narrowing them immediately afterwards and scoffing loudly before abruptly standing up, Kikyo's confused eyes following the movement. "Keh! Why the hell are you apologizing? That hardly makes sense!" He yelled fiercely; '_Why are you apologizing when __**I **__tried to kill you!?' _rang unsaid; glaring down at her wide-eyed blinking form. _Did he just….._"Tche, your too.._nice,"_ He scowled the word in displeasure, "How the hell have you stayed alive these years…" Grumbling loudly, while glancing narrowed eyes at her blinking figure."Luck?" She suggested with a whisper, smiling warmly when he scoffed at her answer. He abruptly turned around to leave, but her hand instinctively grabbed the edge of his long sleeve that flowed causing him to halt in his steps in shock at the unfamiliar gentle tug and turn his upper body around, gazing down confused at an eye smiling Kikyo. "Thank you for listening to me regardless, Inuyasha."

As she let go of his sleeve, she missed his eyes glancing at his sleeve with inquisitiveness and a non-visible warmer tone on his cheek. She straightened from her position and held her bow in her hand. "Inuyasha." He blinked past his sudden thoughts and intently focused on the softly smiling miko in front of him. "I hope we get more chances like this" Her smile widened at his wide-eyed startled look. "Your presence is calming...I know, very strange." Chuckling openly, Kikyo bowed her head slightly at his frozen figure before turning around, walking back.

Inuyasha stared at her form in deep concentration, rewinding every conversation with the strange miko since they met and how even though he could not smell her emotions, he could hear them truthfully in his heightened appendages.. Even with the abnormal fact that she would wish to spend more time….with a _hanyou _like _him_. Before he could realize what he was doing, he called out "Kikyo! Come back here tomorrow!" She paused and tilted her body around, giving Inuyasha a curious expression on her tilted face.

"Tomorrow?" She questioned with expertly hidden small amount of hope. By his twitching ears however, Kikyo just _knew_ he caught onto it, especially when his slightly widened eyes blinked a few times in wonderment shock at the tone and his cheeks dusted an almost non-visible shade darker. He furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head to the side, glancing at a faraway point that was _far_ from her bright face, "I want to give you something." He grumbled out, not changing his expression nor moving to look at her. She blinked. "Besides, didn't you just say you wanted more chances? _Feh,_ Take 'em, like I care." He crossed his arms defensively after snorting through his nose. She smiled warmly at the familiar casual sight. "I will receive what I am given with appreciation then." She chuckled lightly at being able to see the light flush on his cheek's now.

"See you tomorrow, Inuyasha." She eye smiled genuinely, turning back after he nodded curtly with a curious peek at the miko. As she walked away, His eyes stayed intently at her back pondering just what kind of miko was she to be so naturally…_friendly_ with a _hanyou._ His ears lowered a bit at his thoughts before they raised slowly. She really appeared to…_enjoy _the short amount of time with him….Maybe…it wouldn't be so bad...

* * *

Making sure to check the houses she felt needed another dose of spiritual barrier, Kikyo calmly put her palm on the last house, pushing her spiritual energy around the home making it glow a transparent white. _I don't think that went exactly as in the anime…._She waited twenty seconds for the barrier to firmly hold, thinking about what just happened a few hours ago. _If my memory serves me correctly, then I just fucked up a scene. _She blinked in horrified amusement, walking away from the protected home and back towards her hut. _Those ears though. Sigh. I can't __**wait **__until we are closer. There is no stopping my assault on that fuzziness! _She bowed her head at a passing bowing villager. _I honestly almost lost myself in my memories that time…_She mentally frowned. _I do not like the anguish that comes with them…so unless necessary I will __**not**__ open that can of worms. _Kikyo nodded resolutely to herself, visibly relaxing when she saw her hut in the distant.

"Am back, Kaede." She let the straw door slide from her raised hand, gliding inside the warm home. The slow burning fire in the middle lit up the inside with soft orange shades, shadowing where the light couldn't reach. Her azure eyes locked onto a pair of droopy slow blinking brown ones. She chuckled as Kaede nodded inattentive from her laid futon position near the fire.

"Am sorry I took so long." Kikyo placed her weaponry right in its usual corner, smiling softly while leaning down and caressing a sleepy Kaede's head. She only nodded and fell back to her sleep from the repeated gentle caressing on her head. The older miko chuckled beneath her sleeve and gracefully stood up, turning her head towards the large window revealing the tranquil darkness of the night, the familiar song of grasshoppers in the distance ringing in the background. _The beads…._She sighed non-audibly and rolled her eyes upwards, placing her palm against her cheek. _This…oh yes, __**this **__will turn into an interesting development later on,_ She mused to herself.

Glancing back at one of the sealed wooden boxes that she was given as a gift for passing her priestess training, she tried to walk as quietly as she could—the tip of her toe colliding with the back of her other foot—_fuck. _A startled Kaede immediately sat up at the sudden noise, whipping her alarmed wide eyes everywhere before freezing when they landed on the frozen sprawled out body of her Onee-sama who had a hand covering her face incredulously.

Silence.

Kaede blinked large brown eyes before her lips twitched. Both stayed frozen in the exact same position for a few seconds. "…Onee-sama?" _Again?_ rang silent through the increasing humorous atmosphere. Kaede was more or less used to her Onee-sama's rare occasions of clumsiness at the most strangest moment's. It was a surprisingly cute trait which contrasted greatly to the graceful image her sister usually had. "Where in the world does my training go at these times?" Kikyo sighed into her palm before giving a stifling-her-laughter Kaede a light glaring pout and rose up gracefully, deciding not to use her spiritual power for tiny weak pains. _"_What were you doing, Onee-sama?" Kaede questioned shakily behind her hand's.

Kikyo huffed out a laugh while finally reaching the small beige wooden box, "I _was_ going for the sealed box my mentor's entrusted me with." She gracefully sat in front of their short wooden table and placed the box, gently lifting the top which glowed white for a second before it allowed itself to unseal. Her pale hand raised a small white cloth containing sphere like marbles and placing it directly in front of her while sliding the closed box near the edge of the low table. "Oh….Ah, those are the Kotodama sutra beads…" Kaede blinked in recognition when she saw the cloth expand and familiar plum colorant bead's rolled between each other, their movements restricted by the white tear looking ones. Kikyo smiled approvingly. "That's correct, Kaede. Maybe our triple training won't be necessary after all." She eye smiled at her frozen younger sister.

Kaede blinked hopeful eyes up at her older sister who just shook her head in silent chuckles. "That's proof that I am learning well." She mumbled, Kikyo glancing back in amusement after blessing the bead in between her index finger and thumb silently. "Onee-sama just likes torturing me, that's why you wish to add more." Kikyo stifled her laughter while succeeding in blessing more beads. "And you never object! That just means that it's true!" Her childish voice wailed through the hut, body plopping down afterwards and facing her older sister's view where she could see her back. Kikyo snorted a short laugh, Kaede's own giggles ensuing.

* * *

After a few seconds, peaceful silence wrapped onto the hut only accompanied by the older miko's soft humming and the far away noises of insects nulling the eyelids of a languid Kaede. "Onee-sama….are those Kotodama bead's for Inuyasha?" She drowsily asked, holding off her heavy sleep with a stubborn streak of will. Kikyo tilted her head to the side, not stopping her movements on the beads. "Yes, they are…." The older miko smiled softly, "However not for right now. When it's needed at a further time but not now." The confidence in that sentence managed to make the drowsy Kaede blink a few times to try to make on just why what her Onee-sama just said sounded strange to her ears…Nonetheless, sleepy Kaede was relentless and on a roll. "..When you hum Onee-sama…. it's always the same song…." Kikyo stiffened at the unexpectedly meticulous observation from her younger sister. _Ah….I did not pay attention to that small fact….._She forced herself to ease her tense muscles.

Letting her features soften, a small smile curved on her lips from the past memories of that specific song slipping forward. "I am impressed you took notice of such a small thing, Kaede." She heard a small proud chuckle behind her making her close mouth smile widen. "This song…...is called '_Futari No Kimochi'. _" Kaede blinked dazedly while remembering the soft tune her sister always has when humming that song. "It sounds so pretty….but also a bit sad.." She mumbled sadly. Kikyo's shoulders slumped slightly, head lowering with a tiny forlorn smile. _You have no idea…_

* * *

Am very glad you guy's are enjoying the story!

Thank you for your reviews as well (It is not obligatory but appreciated nevertheless ^^)

I think everyone who's reading this story (an Inuyasha fan) know's of _Futari No Kimochi - by Kaoru Wada_

It's lovely c:

**Kinku-Senkou****:** Yes, I will be direct right now (for anyone else who is also curious or may wonder) and say that this is going in an Inuyasha/Kikyo direction, though not quite the same as in canon...


	12. Gift

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Gift**

"Please remember to not pressure your foot this time around, Murasaki-san." Kikyo sternly instructed at the uncompromising elderly man while healing his strained leg. _Again. _He waved off her words, literally, with a wrinkly tan hand. "I can still walk! So as long as th'old wrinkly body can move, I aint stoppin and no one's gonna stop me'h either! Tha' includes you, Kik'yo-sama!" He shouted rather vehemently near her head as she was kneeling down.

She took it in stride since she knew of his decreasing hearing. His wife, however, would not tolerate such pigheaded tendencies with or without hearing. Which is why Kikyo smothered her abrupt laughter with her white sleeve, _again, _when the elderly man held his head between his arms, groaning in pain from the sudden assault on the back of his head. Her azure eyes sparkled in amusement when his wife, a tiny wrinkled light tanned female, huffed in satisfaction while tapping a long wooden spoon on her other hands palm. "You won't be able to walk for much longer if you keep at it, you old coot. Listen to Kikyo-sama!" She brought her hands to her hips, a stern frown on her wrinkly tanner face. Kikyo glanced between the pair in open interest. "It is alright, Saiko-san. I am quite used to treating with difficult patients." She eye smiled at the reluctantly sighing older woman.

"That's right!" The elderly female brightened entirely. She laughed joyously, some healed villager's nearby peeking in curiosity. "Sometimes I forget that Kikyo-sama is harder on her patients than anyone I've ever met." Saiko laughed again at her husband's sudden pale face, and that was quite a feat since he was a shade darker than she was from his farming days. His head whipped towards an innocent blinking Kikyo. He paled as his dilapidated memories drifted through his mind. "Kikyo-sama, I'uderstand! These ol' bones'll rest! I promise!" He yelled desperately, the other patient's laughter and chuckles surrounding the peaceful atmosphere from knowing _exactly _how the other elder felt as they themselves went through the process once or twice.

Kikyo sighed out with a small smile. "Murasaki-san, this is the eighth time you have promised the same thing with no actions." She patiently responded.

He was instantly about to protest but his widened lids cringed at the familiar warm feeling before his body gave out, limp figure being laid gently back onto the futon by a chuckling Kikyo. _It feels more like a habit now. Using my healing aura to a certain twist and numbing body's into sleeping unconscious. _Saiko shook her head with a long sigh, thin lips forming a tired smile. "Thank you for that, Kikyo-sama. He _never _rests until you force him to." She tapped her wooden spoon against the palm of her winkled hand while exhaling an irked sigh from how pigheaded her husband was. Kikyo laughed out loud at that, "It is fine, Saiko-san. Murasaki-san will wake up to about three or four days. An excellent time for the healed flesh to harden naturally." She smiled up at the nodding elder woman who shook her head exasperatedly at her loudly snoring husband.

* * *

Bowing her head at the kind parting exclamations from the villagers, she calmly headed to her destination, her home where her younger sister should be practicing mixing healing herbs at this moment. Letting the straw door slide off her head, she entered and immediately froze at what was in sight.

Kaede deadpanned at the raw coincidence from her sprawled out form on the wood floor, covered in mashed up slimy green herbs covering the entity of her orange kimonoed self. _And round one gooes toooo! The slime! Roaar! and the crowd goes wild! _ Kikyo slowly averted her eyes to the side, shoulders quivering and mouth set in a twitching tight line. "Kikyo-onee-sama!" Kaede yelled out in a desperate tone full of exasperation, embarrassment, and hope.

"I…see—that..the herbs ar-_pfft_—….winn..ing?" The older miko tried to ask while holding back her cackle. _Some kind of deformed spinach mixed with a sponge? _"Onee-sama!" Highly amused, Kikyo decided to restrain herself after that desperate call. "I understand, I understand." She chuckled, placing her bow and quiver full of arrows against the corner wall and walking towards her sighing-in-relief younger sister, carrying out the task of extracting Kaede from the slippery greenery moss-like slime.

* * *

"Kikyo-onee-sama? What did you decide to use as the trigger word for the Kotodama beads?" Kaede questioned curiously while moving the cold completed necklace in between her small hands. Kikyo hummed her response from behind the younger girl. _Her hair will be shiny and __**spotless**__ by the time I'm done with it! It will be __**fabulous hair**__! _Gently sliding her gaped finger's through, she ran the small dark red traditional comb with the other hand down softly.

"What?" Kaede blinked in confusion. She had _no_ idea what her sister just said. Or didn't say. Kikyo chuckled with a shake of her head. _I wonder what her reaction would be? This Kaede is a tab bit more educated in identifying emotions but she __**is **__still just a child…._"Beloved." She stated softly. Kaede froze from her comfortable sitting position and blinked wide eyes multiple times. She would have turned around had it not been for Kikyo's working grip on her long damp dark hair.

"Beloved?" She mumbled to herself, tasting the rather intimate word on her mouth. The older miko merely shook her head with a composed lower face but shimmering-with-mirth eyes. "Nevermind, I won't ask. The more I question, the more confused I get. How in the world does _that_ work out?" Kaede grumbled to herself in half awe and half confused at the strange being her sister was. Kikyo laughed as she continued brushing Kaede's damp locks, hearing every single word her younger sister said.

"Do not worry. All in due time." She chuckled from receiving only a grunt as a response. Comfortable silence flowed throughout the steady calm brushing and Kaede's eyes were half way down in repose by the time Kikyo tapped her head to tell her she was done.

Brown eyes blinked open and then locked onto a pair of amused blue pair that were moving from their position. "Eh? Onee-sama?" Kaede narrowed her eyes in confusion at the sight of her sister calmly walking towards the straw door and raising it with one of her pale hands. She turned her head around and with an eye smile stated, "Am going to visit a friend. I will come back later, Kaede. Remember not to forget the herbal mixture that I just told you and mix the rest with their similar combinations." Kaede blinked and realized her onee-sama was waiting for a response. She nodded rapidly. Kikyo's eyes sparkled with merriment before she shook her head with a chuckle and walked through the swishing straw door.

Kaede stayed in the same position in bewilderment and a bit of skepticism (Her older sister didn't even take her weapon with her this time!) before she groaned out load, realizing that her onee-sama _once again _gave her more work!

* * *

Kikyo deeply inhaled, her body smoothing down to a more moderate state. She expanded her aura around her, not so far since she didn't want to use much of her spiritual power without her weapons, and brought it back in when she didn't sense any youkai of greater danger. Only the weaker ones were around and not for at least more than a few blocks. She raised her head and sighed extensively. White mists of prodigious clouds mixed pleasantly with the sky's baby blue pigment. They moved so….slow but at a fixed pace…_I feel like I've done this before._ She mentally raised an eyebrow at herself. _Needless to say, am a nature nerd—Or more accurately, a nature hugger? Lover? _

She reached the familiar clearing, smiling at the thought of what happened yesterday as she absentmindedly sat comfortably on the thin greenery beneath her. Her barrier wrapped itself comfortably around her figure, pulsing a pure transparent white before receding from sight. Eyelid's slowly lowered until half way in a soft numbing sensation from the peacefulness around her. _This….is one of the better benefits from this world. It's nature is __**amazing. **__Note the bolding on the word. That's just how much it affects me. _She blinked from her inner musing's when a pair of humanized clawed bare feet clad in red full garb materialized in her view.

Raising her head swiftly, she blinked when her azure light orb's latched onto familiar honey hued ones. She didn't have time to observe the white haired hanyou face as she instinctively eye smiled in open joy and relief, "Inuyasha!" Inuyasha flinched a step back in stupefaction from how bright and _real _her smile looked directed at _him_, feeling the skin on his cheek's heating up . He briskly turned his head to the side to conceal his reaction, but after a second nodded curtly.

Kikyo smiled warmly at the fact that he responded back, verbally or not an unimportant factor. "Did you just come?" She stared up at him, patiently waiting for his head to turn back down towards her. His eyes glanced to the miko and he carefully turned back, feeling his shackles lower gradually from her perplexing calm presence. "I've been here for a while." He gave her an uncanny look that said everything; '_You didn't sense me right in front of you?'_.

She patted the greenery beside her with a pale hand almost obscured by her long white sleeve, smiling sincerely when he blinked at her then at the space her hand tapped and slowly plopped down next to her, glancing curious and a bit of cautious filled dark golden eyes at the powerful miko. "I put a pure spiritual shield around myself." She softly explained, taking a curious peek at the twitching appendages. "I at times may daze off, however, and for future references, I apologize in advance." She tilted her head towards him, smiling in apology with a tiny head bow.

His narrowed eyes were curiosity filled and he glanced cautiously at her figure. She chuckled at his intently probing stare. "There is no need to worry, Inuyasha. The moment I saw you, my barrier fell." _That_ caught his attention and his eyes blinked back to hers in complete speechless wonderment. "Wha—..you trust me…that much?" The fact that he even answered to that blunt statement caused her azure eyes to widen and for her body to freeze in horrified embarrassment.

His wide golden eyes intently stared at the unexpected way she reacted with a tint of interest. When she could finally compose herself, she opened her mouth to respond only to flinch in shock as a non-audible squeak escaped her gaped lips. A subtle pinkish tone heated across her pale features, _to hell with manners!, _pale slender palms slapped themselves against the warm skin of her now-securely-covered-face. His advanced hearing! God dammit, _his advance hearing!_

Inuyasha stared at the lowered miko's head with slight amusement and interest at the unfamiliar reaction. That..._tiny creature_ sound was as contrasting to the image as ever. The corner of his lips twitched up. His ears jerked in motion from the word's they failed to decipher out of her mumbled sentence. His eyes narrowed in confusion and he grunted in annoyance.

She sighed softly onto her palms, then slowly lowered her hands and raised her head back to his direction. Giving him a miniscule smile with pink cheek's aflame, "I…guess I do….huh." She whispered quietly, peering through her lowered dark bangs and instantly catching his own pair that was gazing at her with a foreign intensity. Second's passed in peaceful silence, both individual's too enthralled in each other to notice how time was passing with each flowing wind. Until they blinked abruptly at the same time, Inuyasha turning away rapidly with a loud nervous scoff while Kikyo's eyes slid to the opposite direction, focusing on a far _far _location _waay_ over there. _Awkwardness, how I have certainly __**not **__missed you… _

"Tche, ya just keep getting stranger and stranger…. " He mumbled to himself all of a sudden. Kikyo smiled behind one of her sleeves, not saying anything on his slightly colored cheeks or that she heard his muffled words, _wouldn't want to discourage him after all_. He raised his head in attention and turned back to her, eyes focused on something else entirely. She tilted her head in question. "Why can't I sense…" He left it hanging, eyes narrowed in concentration. Her lips curved upwards from the question, she just _knew_ he was going to ask sooner or later. "Ah…I usually conceal my emotions from emitting with my spiritual shield; it would be a great disadvantage towards powerful youkai after all." She nodded when his eyes lifted from its curiosity in understanding, leaning his head back.

"Neat trick, huh?" Her mouth hardly tilted upwards but her eyes were filled with open mirth. Inuyasha scoffed at such an informal comment from one of such status as the miko, but failed to obscure his half amused grin. "Keh, you're a strange woman….Kikyo." He considered her with focused eye's but at a much less tense posture than before, nonetheless still not completely relaxed. She warmly smiled at him, "So I've been told." She softly stated, loving the twitches his little white ears made each time she spoke quietly.

He gazed at her with that foreign intensity again to which she didn't back down from, staring directly back though with a softer look on her azure light speckled orb's. She internally wondered if they were unofficially having a staring contest? Mentally imagining an audience giving her a standing ovation when Inuyasha abruptly looked away first and searched inside his sleeve, she blinked out of her internal amusement when he took out his fist from the opposite sleeve and held his opening hand towards her, producing a small pale beige seashell with a very tiny dark red bow on the thinner part holding both bottom and top of the seashell together.

Her eyes took in the simple but lovely making, "This is….?" She tilted her head in question, gentle eyes raising to the honey hues of the male seated next to her. "It's not like I can use it so there's no sense in me keeping it. I'll give it to you." He said, boyish husky voice steady in its decision. Kikyo blinked out of her daze, only lifting her hand when he nudged the object in the air and gently took the offered seashell, placing it in the palm of her hand while opening the top lid with the tip of her fingers. She stared at the unsealed frail history pale cherry tint lipstick, a sense of emotions washing through her as she heard him, "The only thing's my mother left me were that and the Robe of the Fire-rat." He index pointed his clawed finger at the opened object in her hand. Her head raised when he finished his explanation and she frowned slightly at him,

"Inuyasha, this must mean so much to you, I-" "Don't worry about it, The robe of the Fire-rat is useful enough." He turned his head to the side with a half-smile, tone assertive as usual and giving her a small challenging glance since Kikyo seemed to be quite the stubborn woman at surprising times. Her mouth closed with a non-audible plop, one of his ears twitching at the sound. She closed the seashell gently and held it in her clasped hands, giving him a warm kind eye smile.

"I will treasure it, Inuyasha_. Thank you." _She knew by now not to bow since she wanted to be _friends_, not form a wall between them so she opted to instead give him her usual genuine eye smile. He peeked at her from the corner of his eye, features unconsciously softening then swiftly concealing them before she noticed.

Sensing a sudden desolation her direction, he turned back in confusion towards Kikyo, her gentle eyes raising to his own. "Was this from your mother…?" She questioned lowly, a whisper away. He grunted lowly, turning his head frontwards, staring past the faded tree lines in the distance."Yeah…" His voice mumbled out loud. She closed her eyes in understanding of what was not say and silent condolences. "Inuyasha…" She raised her head to find him already staring at her in question, eyebrows furrowed and his upper body turned her way, more than half of the tension that was in his figure gone.

_Now I just feel a bit bad….._ Sliding the gift in a secure place inside her left sleeve, Kikyo raised an alabaster white slender hand and glided closer towards a confused white haired hanyou, gracefully sitting back down with a foot of space left between both individuals. Her raised hand gently tugged one of his longer sleeves onto her hands grasps as he let her, entranced with the unfamiliar tender movements; half dazed orb's following in interest.

She felt the smooth fabric with her hands and sighed softly, "And I even shot so many arrows at something so precious to you….I apologize, Inuyasha." Her forlorn tone tore him from his mesmerized view of her pale slender hands on his sleeves, making honey hued eyes blink down to azure sincere ones. His features relaxed and he scoffed out a small fanged smile, "Hah! Don't worry about it, It's taken worse." She smiled warmly at his reassurance, a familiar fuzzy warmness spreading through her; _Ah this feeling….I remember this from when I first started to watch the anime….._"Are you sure it is alright for me to have such an important gift?" She questioned softly, eyes locking onto his when he turned his head to her. _And I remember __**this **__smile in that scene. _He scoffed lightly; curving his lips into that half smirk/half smile of his casually, "Yeah." Fangs were in sight when he assertively stated his firm decision. She eye smiled at him genuinely, "Alright."

* * *

"Inuyasha, there is also something I would like to give you." She chuckled when he froze on his spot from beside her and his head rapidly turned to her direction, wide dark golden orb's flickering with an almost childish expectation."The Shikon no Tama?!" He exclaimed, excited at even the thought.

Kikyo shook her head with a small teasing smile, "No." She deadpanned, hiding her amusement beneath her sleeve when he scoffed out loud in indignation with the words, "Keh! I knew it'd be too easy!" She instinctively patted his upper arm in mock encouragement, not noticing her overly familiar gesture till a surprisingly smooth larger palm enveloped her smaller hand and she froze in confusion.

Tilting her head to the side, her body seemed to freeze from the sharp gazing view of golden fixedly on her own frozen azure. He blinked, she blinked, and he promptly released his hold on her paler smaller limb, turning his head to the opposite direction while scoffing loudly. She did not even hear his scoff due to the loud drumming on her ears and she—_fuck _she was blushing. God fucking dammit! Her lips curved into a pout as she pressed the back of her hands onto her heated cheeks. _There's not even a freaking point in trying to hide my reaction because with his wireless connection, he's __**sure **__to hear my god damn heart. _

She sighed in resignation, placing her hands back down on her lap and turning her head to the side, observing how the white fluffy appendages twitched with every beat of her heart…now that's just unfair! Her pout became more prominent and she had to compose herself less she explode into pretty little itty bitty white dust. Her eyes focused on the little ears, eyes dazing slowly while following the motion's. "Ah—" she shook her head from her daze, Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound, both standing in attention as he turned his head back towards her with a curious look.

"I _do _have something for you, but it's for a later date." She only smiled when he nodded his head in full curiosity and half caution. _The ability to pretend as if nothing even happened is amazing in this place. Doesn't even feel like….whatever the hell __**that **__was, happened. _"Nature's so beautiful." She said absentmindedly, basking in the falling warmth of the lowering sun and lazy cool breeze passing by them, their clothes' and white silver and ebony locks flowing with the wind simultaneously.

"Keh, you _do _daze a lot…" Inuyasha's interest piqued husky boyish voice brought her blinking down to turn and smile sheepishly at a half grinning/smiling face. "The surroundings are peaceful." She retorted as her answer, he only let out a half amused snort while giving her a glance.

* * *

Kikyo sighed in relief when she searched out with her aura and noticed the barriers were still active. _Inuyasha feel's more…..closer..? I don't know if that was how it usually was in the anime but…_she tilted her head in consideration, feeling relieved at seeing her home a few huts away in the distance. _I wonder if it's because I was less reserved than Kikyo and more accepting..…_she sighed, shaking her head from the upcoming headache at the thoughts wanting to eat her alive, black tresses shifting swiftly from her back to her back knees through their white ribbon hold.

_I miss my bow. _She let a tiny pout curve her lips. _And my arrows. Siigh my babys! _When her hand raised the straw door, she sighed in relief and chuckled when she saw Kaede sprawled out on the floor like a starfish with blankets at the side only covering a foot. Shaking her head at the image and wishing, for _once, _on the advanced technology of a camera she made her way to her weapons where they were in the exact same position she left them. She smiled as she traced her hand on the bow, white mist surrounding the places she tapped before it disappeared. _It's almost like a feline kitty, my red Saigu-Yumi. _

The tips of her fingers left the faded pulsing bow, then did the same to each of her arrows. She walked to her neatly placed Futon next to Kaede's, blandly realizing just now that she had been humming that _same _song since she entered her home…..glancing at a knocked out Kaede, Kikyo smiled in relief and a raised eyebrow at the comical sleeping position but resumed her almost silent humming while arranging her futon, then covering Kaede's body back with the thin covers.

As she finished changing into her white sleepwear yukata, her hand gently grasped the small seashell gift Inuyasha had given her, closing her eyes and adding a small spiritual shield towards the now-pulsing-white shell before the transparent white glow disappeared. She was no way in _hell _going to let this little seashell get broken. Placing the small object inside the unsealed box with the Kotodama beads, she sealed it again with a silent prayer and pushed it back where she got it from; under the wooden table the a corner. The moon's pale transparent cool rays only soothed her into sleep next to her younger sister who instinctively curled up to her older sister's familiar warmth.


End file.
